093_HR0362

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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, Joanne Spata has been a  familiar  face  in  the
 3    Italian-American  community  for  the  past  23 years, having
 4    donated thousands of hours  to  community  service;  she  has
 5    assisted  with the planning and execution of the Columbus Day
 6    Parade, the Italian Market  on  the  Daley  Plaza,  Christmas
 7    Around  the  World  at  the Field Museum, Villa Day, Festa di
 8    Tutti Santi, countless St.  Joseph  Tables,  and  the  former
 9    Festa Italiana when it was held on Navy Pier; and

10        WHEREAS,  Ms.  Spata  is  a past President of the Women's
11    Division of the Joint Civic Committee of  Italian  Americans,
12    past President of the Young Adult Division of the J.C.C.I.A.,
13    and  past  President of the Italian Singles' Club of Chicago;
14    she was also not only the youngest  President  of  the  Villa
15    Scalabrini  home  for  the  Aged Volunteers, but the first to
16    preside over both their Men's League and  Ladies'  Auxiliary;
17    and

18        WHEREAS,  Ms.  Spata is a past Chairperson of the Italian
19    Heritage Ball and Cotillion, the J.C.C.I.A. Women's  Division
20    Scholarship  Luncheon  and  Fashion  Show, the John Fischetti
21    Scholarship, and more than a dozen other  events  benefitting
22    the  Italian-American  Community, many of which she continues
23    to participate in today; over the years she has been a member
24    and whole-hearted supporter of the Human Relations  Committee
25    of  the  J.C.C.I.A., the Italian Cultural Center, and Friends
26    for Alzheimer's; and

27        WHEREAS, To name just a couple of the  honors  Joanne  is
28    most proud of having received, she is a past recipient of the
29    prestigious  David  Award  presented  by  the  Italo-American
30    National  Union  and The Silent Benefactor Award presented by
31    the Board of Directors of the Shrine of Our Lady of  Pompeii;
32    she  also has been listed in the Congressional Record for her
 
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 1    involvement with the planning committee of the  Columbus  Day
 2    Parade; and

 3        WHEREAS,   From  1994-1999,  Ms.  Spata was the Executive
 4    Director of The Shrine of Our Lady  of  Pompeii,  the  oldest
 5    continuing  Italian  Catholic  Church in the City of Chicago;
 6    although she is now the Business Manager for St. John Brebeuf
 7    Parish, she is still an active member of Pompeii's  Board  of
 8    Directors   and  oversees  the  Italian-American  Community's
 9    Columbus Day kick-off celebration of  the  Eucharist  at  the
10    Shrine   each   year;  on  Columbus  Day  2002,  Joanne  also
11    co-anchored the broadcast of the parade on CBS Channel 2 with
12    MaryAnn Childers, Antonio Mora, and Vince Gerasole; and

13        WHEREAS, At St.  John  Brebeuf  Church,  she  founded  an
14    annual  St.  Joseph  Table; this event has served to not only
15    spread an important institution in  Italian  Culture  to  the
16    parishioners  and  school  children,  but  it has also raised
17    thousands of dollars, which are used to benefit children  who
18    are in need of tuition assistance; and

19        WHEREAS, On January 23, 2003, she attained a long aspired
20    goal  as she was inaugurated as the first woman President, in
21    the fifty-one year history, of the Joint Civic  Committee  of
22    Italian-Americans  Umbrella  Organization; her vision for the
23    organization is  to  expand  its  membership,  modernize  its
24    systems  and  raise  its  profile  for  generations  to come;
25    therefore, be it

26        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
27    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
28    we honor and thank Joanne Spata for all of her hard work  and
29    dedication  on  behalf of the Italian-American community; and
30    be it further

31        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
32    presented to Joanne Spata as an expression of our respect and
 
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 1    esteem.