L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano T o celebrate this y e a r ' s F e s t a d e l l a R e p u b - blica, the Con- sulate General of Italy, along with the Lit- tle Italy of Los Angeles Asso- ciation (LILAA), has orga- nized the Italy Run LA, a 5K race taking place Sunday 5th of June at 8 a.m. close to the ocean, in charming San Pedro. "Italians and Italian- Americans are an integral p a r t o f w h a t m a k e s L o s Angeles a hub of Italian cul- ture and heritage," Italian Consul Silvia Chiave says. "Italy Run LA is a family- friendly race open to partici- pants of all ages and abili- t i e s , i n c l u d i n g r u n n e r s , walkers, and strollers. Every- body will be able to experi- ence an iconic tour through San Pedro, set against the b a c k d r o p o f t h e P a c i f i c Ocean, as you run through the beautiful streets of Los Angeles Harbor." C o n s u l C h i a v e , c a n y o u s h a r e s o m e m o r e details about Italy Run LA? Italy Run is not only a 5k run but also a great street Fest (Festa di Piazza) that w i l l i n v o l v e f a m i l i e s a n d children in the celebration of our National Day, la Festa d e l l a R e p u b b l i c a , f o r t h e first time in person since 2 0 1 9 . I t i s a n i n i t i a l t r y , a ballon d'essai, that can be organized again if it proves to be successful. Italians are great runners but also people who like to spend time in the open air, walk, and eat out- side. We will try and com- b i n e a l l t h e s e a s p e c t s o f Mediterranean conviviality i n o n e e v e n t , w h i c h a l s o w a n t s t o p r o m o t e o u r lifestyle, our culture, and our language. This is why the proceedings will cover the costs of the organization but will also be used by LILAA to offer scholarships for the study of Italian. How did you come up w i t h t h e i d e a t o c e l e - brate the Italian Nation- al Day with a marathon? T h e i d e a i s n o t m i n e , I " c o p i e d " i t f r o m m y c o l - l e a g u e s a t t h e C o n s u l a t e General in NYC who, a few years ago, had the idea to organize Italy Run in Central P a r k , a n d s u c c e e d e d : i n 2019, more than 8000 peo- ple were running under the Italian flag in New York! I a l w a y s f o u n d g r e a t inspiration from other suc- cessful initiatives of our con- sular network, here in the United States. The philoso- phy is the same, we all work to be a point of reference for our nationals abroad and to promote the best that Italy has to offer. The event is organized t o g e t h e r w i t h L I L A A , what is this association about? T h e e v e n t i s o r g a n i z e d t o g e t h e r w i t h L I L A A a n d with the City Council's 15th District, competent for San Pedro, but also with the nec- essary support of Michael Hogue, expert runner who organizes another Run in San Pedro called "Conquer the Bridge." With this expe- rience, I learned that it is impossible to organize a race without the help of profes- sionals in the sector. LILAA is a 501c non-profit dedicat- ed to the creation of a new Little Italy, able to combine our tradition and our history with our country's natural capacity to innovate, to cele- brate our culture through hospitality, shop of authentic Italian products, and cultur- al events. A r e t h e r e a n y o t h e r partners involved? Many liked our idea and we have plenty of partners that adhered with enthusi- asm to the initiative, the first being Enel X Way, our pre- s e n t i n g s p o n s o r , a g l o b a l leader in smart electric vehi- cle charging solutions with over 250.000 charging ports worldwide. It is a subsidiary of one of the world leaders in renewables, Enel Group. We are proud to be in partner- ship with such an important Italian company. Sustain- ability is, in fact, one of the k e y w o r d s b e h i n d a l l o u r a c t i o n s , a n d w h a t ' s m o r e sustainable than a Run? The other sponsors are LandiRenzo USA, MSC, Fil- ippo Berio Olive Oil, Marco e Stefania Giandalia, Provi- d e n c e , B u o n o ' s P i z z e r i a , Athens Services and Bindi. Besides the run, are there going to be other events on the day? A f t e r t h e r a c e , L i t t l e Italy's Piazza will be animat- ed by a Festival with music, animation, games for kids and stands to taste pizza, ice cream, and other typical Ital- ian products under our flag's c o l o r s – r e d , w h i t e , a n d green. Children of all ages who take part in the run will be able to do face painting, have fun with a magician, go on a mini-train ride and dec- orate cookies. W h y w a s S a n P e d r o chosen for this event? San Pedro with its port is one of the epicenters of our h i s t o r i c a l i m m i g r a t i o n i n this City. While, in the last y e a r s , t h e s o - c a l l e d " n e w mobility" concentrated in West LA, the legacy of the fishermen from Ischia and Sicily who came here in the 20th century and before is still alive in San Pedro, an area that has over a century o f I t a l i a n h i s t o r y o n i t s shoulders. This is why San Pedro has been chosen to bring to life, in the new Little Italy of Los Angeles, our tra- dition, our history, our lan- guage but also our present, that of a modern Country capable of innovating. This is well embedded into the pro- ject of Little Italy that wel- comes, in its respect for the diversity that characterizes this place, all those that love Italy and want to discover its most authentic characteris- tics. It's a fascinating place a n d a l l t h e R u n w i l l t a k e place on the waterfront. Lit- tle Italy LA is modern and contemporary, but it has also developed around the con- cept of the piazza: with its Mediterranean-Californian aesthetics, it is intended in the Italian way, as a place where our identity comes o u t . T h e p i a z z a i s , s t i l l today, a point of reference in all our cities and towns. The Run will start and finish at the Piazza, as a symbol of the r e p h r a s i n g o f t h e u r b a n landscape, and attention to sustainability. A n y o t h e r u s e f u l information about the marathon? Well, it could be mislead- i n g t o c a l l i t " M a r a t h o n " because this word evokes an idea of competition and ago- nism that is not part of our concept. Everybody can par- ticipate in our Fun Run and, as with every street Fest, we can say, also for this one, "the more the merrier." It is not an event for profession- als and, actually, many of the habitual runners who partic- ipate in this kind of event will walk with their friends or their families. As I previ- o u s l y m e n t i o n e d , t h i s i s intended to be a big Fest, full of Italy. All info can be found o n o u r webpage: www.italyrun.org a nd it's possible to enroll also through the QR code includ- ed in our flyer, that we are starting to distribute every- where. There will be a dis- count for groups of over 15 people, to be agreed upon with the organizers. For this type of initiative, word of mouth is very important and we thus hope that our Italian and Italian-American com- munities will participate. All runners will receive a T-shirt and a medal. W h a t m e s s a g e y o u would like to convey to people, as a Consul, in the difficult moment the world is currently expe- riencing? The last few years have been complicated for every- body, but the crisis we've been through also showed how the Italian Community can be united around com- m o n v a l u e s . S i n c e t h e beginning of the pandemic, w e h a v e s e e n i t i n t h e c o u r s e o f m a n y e v e n t s , where Italians and Italian- Americans' will to help one another was tangible. The support towards the Con- sulate General and the work w e d i d w a s a l s o h e a r t - warming. With this event, that sees us going back in presence after three years, w e w o u l d l i k e t o s e n d a message of unity and partic- ipation, and to involve all the community, with all its different souls, to celebrate our Festa della Repubblica. Italian National Day to be celebrated with a 5k run in San Pedro SILVIA GIUDICI Italy Run LA will take place on Italian National Day (Photo: Warrengoldswain/Dreamstime) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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