Taylor Trumbetti -- 1st Place among PV athletes!

Woodcliff Lake UNICO Youth Member Taylor Trumbetti participated in the 2nd Annual Pascack Valley Sprint Triathlon today and did our chapter proud: Taylor finished 4th overall, and 1st among athletes from the Pascack Valley. He competed against nearly 200 other athletes, and we congratulate Taylor on this outstanding accomplishment.

The event included a 300 meter swim, a 10 mile bike ride, and a 5K run. All the proceeds from the triathlon will be divided between national and local charities.

The national charity will be the Wounded Warrior Project, which raises awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women. It helps severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and also provides unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members. The local charity will be the Hillsdale Education Foundation, which benefits educational programs.

Congratulations, Taylor!

WCL UNICO -- Home Chapter of National President Andre' DiMino

It's official: our very own Andre' DiMino was installed this weekend as President of UNICO National at the National Convention in Lake Las Vegas. We are all so proud of Andre' and his lovely First Lady, Jenny. Andre' is an active, vital member of our chapter, and we look forward to a wonderful, productive year with him at the helm of our national organization.

Congratulations Andre'!

In Memory of Kaylee

Kaylee Rivers passed away peacefully this morning at home. Thank you for all of the prayers on her behalf.

We are all heartbroken for the family, but we take some comfort in knowing that our efforts helped to make things easier for them during an impossibly difficult time.

UNICO announces Disaster Relief Fund for Abruzzo Earthquake victims

UNICO Announces Initiation of Fund to Aid
Abruzzo Italy Earthquake Relief

UNICO National extends its heartfelt sympathy to those who have lost relatives, and to the thousands who have been left homeless by

the Abruzzo Earthquake.

The earthquake has resulted in 91 deaths, approximately 1,500 injured and many people still missing. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people are believed to have lost their homes.

UNICO has set up a Disaster Relief Fund to help those affected by this tragedy.

If you would like to donate to this fund, please send your donations payable to:

"UNICO Foundation"

Earmarked Disaster Relief Fund

Mail to:

271 U.S. Highway 46 WestSuite A-108

Fairfield, NJ 07004

Thank you for your consideration of support for the victims of the Abruzzo Italy Earthquake.

For further information,

please contact Pat Pelonero at the UNICO office

at 1-973-808-0035 or at ppelonero@unico.org

Or visit UNICO's website at http://www.unico.org/

C.J. Personette attends our 2009 Beefsteak

In this video, our 2008 Beefsteak recipient, C.J. Personette, addresses the crowd. His progress and recovery from devastating physical injuries suffered in September 2007 are nothing short of miraculous. We are so grateful that C.J. and his family could be with us!!

Our 12th Annual Beefsteak: A Night to Remember!!

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to yet another successful Beefsteak Dinner & Auction. Once again, this event was sold-out, and although the room was a bit "tight" at times (especially during those frenzied final seconds of the Silent Auction bidding) everyone was smiling and having a great time. The show of support for our recipient, Kaylee Rivers, was incredible and gratifying.

A highlight of the evening was when last year's recipient, C.J. Personette, stood up, walked across the room, and addressed the crowd. His astounding recovery from his devastating physical injuries in Sept. 2007 and his continuing progress are nothing short of miraculous. We know that this is due to the unwavering love and devotion of his wonderful family, and also to the generosity of those who attended last year's Beefsteak Dinner. There's no doubt about it--your donations make a difference!

Seeing and hearing C.J. as he thanked everyone, and encouraged us all to pray for Kaylee, was truly an unforgettable moment. We will be posting video and pictures from the event as soon as possible, so stay tuned. (And keep some tissues handy. Trust me.)

Another big round of thanks to our student volunteers. We had 17 young people from several area parishes (Our Lady Mother of the Church, St. Gabriel's) and school districts (Pascack Hills High School, Immaculate Heart Academy, Don Bosco Prep, Pascack Valley High School) who pitched in tirelessly and helped make our event run smoothly and seamlessly.

We also must acknowledge the inexhaustable efforts of the Davey/Rivers family, providing us with valuable prizes and popular auction items right up to the very last moment. The result was a lot of very happy bidders, an Oral Auction with nearly 50 unique items (including Broadway show tickets, luxury box tickets to sporting events, one-of-a-kind artwork, sports memorabilia, vacations and more) and a Silent Auction with nearly 120 prizes to choose from.

Again, thank you so much to all of the attendees who made this event possible. From our popular 50/50 raffle, to our surprise "Guess the Heavyweights" contest (Congratulations to C.J. for guessing the EXACT weight of our four very good sports), to our infamous Bread Sculpture contest, it was an entertaining evening that is sure to be remembered for a long time to come.

We look forward to seeing you all again NEXT year, when our Beefsteak Fundraiser will be back and even better than ever.

Another sold-out event!

This Friday we will host our annual Beefsteak Dinner & Auction fundraiser, and once again, we are SOLD OUT!

This year's recipient, Kaylee Rivers, is a deserving and courageous little girl, and on her behalf we thank you for your support.

Donations for this event are still being accepted. If you would like to contribute, please mail a check payable to Woodcliff Lake UNICO to the following address (please put "Kaylee Rivers" in the memo line):

Woodcliff Lake UNICO
P.O. Box 8664
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677