HR0370 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0370 LRB101 12389 ALS 60424 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize milestone events in the lives of the citizens of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that Valeri DeCastris has been inducted into the Italian American Hall of Fame by the Greater Rockford Italian American Association (GRIAA) in recognition of her dedication and service to Rockford's Italian-American community and her efforts at promoting and preserving the Italian cultural significance of South Rockford, the area where most early Italian immigrants settled; this is the organization's highest honor; and

WHEREAS, GRIAA is a non-profit, volunteer educational organization that has existed for over 40 years, and its mission is to promote the Italian culture, sponsor social events and activities, and perform works of charity and philanthropy; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris was born in Rockford to Valentino and Patricia Macaluso DeCastris in 1956; her father was a full-time professional musician, and her mother taught dance at Arthur Murray Studios; her paternal grandparents immigrated from Rockford's sister city of Ferentino, Italy; they lived in South Rockford next to the childhood home of the late Representative E.J. "Zeke" Giorgi, Rockford's longtime State Representative with whom she had family ties; her maternal grandparents were of Sicilian origin and part of the great U.S. migration northward from the south, leaving New Orleans, Louisiana for Chicago and then South Rockford; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris and her husband, David Beccue, received master's degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and the University of Illinois at Springfield respectively; she served as a research associate for a support services agency of the Illinois General Assembly, as an adjunct professor of physical sciences, and as an environmental scientist for the State and private sectors; David is an assistant site superintendent at Rock Cut State Park; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris, along with David, restored her paternal grandparents' home in South Rockford, which was built in 1923, and relocated there from Springfield, becoming active participants in the revitalization of the area they have named the Ethnic Village; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris has a distinguished record of volunteer service throughout Illinois, serving in leadership positions on several boards of local and statewide non-profit organizations and helping to improve communities, including her hometown of Rockford; she has been an active contributor to land use planning and business development in Rockford and has volunteered her time for numerous civic projects; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris is the recipient of a National Make A Difference Day Award, the Spirit of Caring Award from the Crusader Clinic of Rockford, and local awards from civic and non-profit organizations for her community service to our State; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris, along with David, established the Ethnic Village Neighborhood Organization that has beautified and improved South Rockford with grants and private donations, creating Immigrants Park and installing flower planters, hanging banners, flower baskets, and signage at the neighborhood's gateway to downtown Rockford; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris has helped to keep the ethnic traditions and contributions of Rockford's Italian-American community alive; she initiated discussions that culminated in Speaker Michael Madigan's inception of the Zeke Giorgi Memorial Internship Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield; she has written several articles on Rockford's Italian-American community in local publications and the press; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, Valeri DeCastris spearheaded the creation of an Italian Sister City partnership between Rockford and Ferentino, Italy, made possible by the DeCastris/Giorgi family connections in America and Italy; she established a committee that sponsors adult and youth exchanges, educational programs, and cultural exhibits; and

WHEREAS, For over two decades, Valeri DeCastris and David have worked as ticket booth attendants at Festa Italiana, which is sponsored by GRIAA and is Rockford's second-largest festival; she has served on GRIAA's Board of Directors for several years; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris was instrumental in the inclusion of the Italian American immigrant experience in Rockford's Midway Village Museum and Conference Center's largest exhibition, "Many Voices, One Community," and is featured in the museum; and

WHEREAS, Valeri DeCastris is an active volunteer in the Rockford Catholic Diocese's designated Italian parish of St. Anthony of Padua in South Rockford, where her family has been members since the early 1900s; she assisted the City of Rockford in securing a grant from the Illinois First Program for decorative street lamps around the church, which evolved into an award-winning bronze statuary "memory garden," where its school and gymnasium once stood; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Valeri DeCastris on her induction into the Italian American Hall of Fame by the Greater Rockford Italian American Association and commend her efforts at preserving the Italian heritage of Rockford; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Valeri DeCastris as an expression of our esteem and respect.