Ho-Ho-Ho...another successful Lunch with Santa!

Our Lunch with Santa event was once again SOLD OUT. More than 120 people gathered at the Tice Community Center for food, fun and festivities to usher in the holiday season. Best of all, this popular fundraiser benefitted one of our favorite charities, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. Thank you, everyone, for making this event a success! To see more photos, visit our website: http://www.wclunico.org/lunch_with_santa.htm

Lunch with Santa!!

Can you believe it?  In a little over a month, it'll be Christmas.  

This year, instead of fighting your way through the traffic and crowds at the mall, why not come and enjoy a very special gathering with ole St. Nick, and support a worthwhile charity at the same time?  

On Sunday, December 7th, join us at the Tice Community Center from Noon to 2:30pm for a fun and festive pizza lunch with Santa and his helpers. The cost is only $8 a person (children under 2 get in free), and includes pizza, soft drinks, and a goody bag for the children.  Kids can enjoy holiday crafts and activities as they wait for Santa's arrival, and will receive a small gift from Santa when he gets there.  

Bring your camera and take as many pictures as you like to share with family and friends.

This popular annual event is always great fun for the children, and this year, grownups can take a chance on our 50/50 raffle, to win some holiday shopping money! 

Best of all, the proceeds from the raffle and the event will be donated to the St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN.    Come and support this wonderful charity, and participate in a priceless family tradition.  

Tickets are on sale until November 30th, so if you 'd like to attend, you MUST contact us at RSVP@wclunico.org as soon as possible. This event sells out quickly each year, and space is strictly limited. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Columbus Day Parade 2008

Once again, our chapter will be represented at the Columbus Day Parade in New York City. Our own Andre' DiMino and his lovely wife Jenny will be there, along with other members from local UNICO chapters.

For more information on the parade, visit the Columbus Citizens Foundation website:

http://www.columbuscitizensfd.org/cparade.shtml

October is Italian Heritage Month!

Click on the picture above to learn more about the many ways you can celebrate Italian Heritage Month!

An update on C.J.

Dear Members,

We're delighted to share with you this wonderful update we recently received about our Beefsteak Dinner recipient, CJ Personette. As many of you know, CJ suffered life-threatening injuries after a car accident on Sept. 1st, 2007, and his recovery has been miraculous.

CJ and his family enjoyed some quality family time down at the Jersey shore this summer. Although there was a slight setback in early July, CJ continues to amaze his doctors with just how far he has come in such a short time. Given the extent of his injuries, his remarkable progress cannot be explained by medical science. Please keep those prayers coming!

CJ is able to write and draw quite well with his left hand, and physical therapy is ongoing to restore function on his right side. He continues to heal, and his dazzling new smile is just one of the many indicators that he is on the road to recovery.  His speech and motor development are constantly improving, and on October 2nd, CJ will be marking another big milestone: he will be joining his friends at Pascack Hills High School, taking freshman English, Biology, and pottery.

CJ's father also relayed this account of a very special day they recently enjoyed: "On Friday, September 19th, CJ was asked to be the honorary PHHS football captain for the home game, and PHHS won 24 to 0. The elated coaches gave CJ the winning football which he greatly prized. During CJs 8th grade (Montvale recreation) football season he made 22 touch downs and was Player of the Year. It was the first and last year he'd play. CJ was on the PHHS freshman team and attended football camp, running 5 miles a day with the team right before the accident. They loved him so much that they honored him. CJ couldn't stop smiling and had a wonderful time, while I was teary-eyed, especially when the fans chanted his name: 'CJ, CJ, CJ.'"

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so we'll close this update with some photos of CJ that are sure to bring a smile to your face. We are all so proud of CJ, and will continue to keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Join us for Karaoke Night!

Yes, it's back!

On November 15th, enjoy an evening of singing, dancing & dinner at our always-popular Karaoke Night, held at Zion Lutheran School in Westwood, NJ. Tickets are just $35 per person, and the proceeds from this event will help support our 2009 UNICO Convention.

For more information or to reserve your spot, click HERE to see our flyer.

Tonight's Meeting -- Location change!

Please note: tonight's meeting will be held at Paul Camella's house.

Final Reminder: if you have not paid your annual membership dues yet, please bring a check with you. Thanks!

Chapter Meeting moved to September 16th

Our next chapter meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 16th at 7:00pm. Carol Franco has graciously offered to host the meeting at her home. If you need directions, contact Mike Pisano, or email info@wclunico.org

A friendly reminder: Annual Dues are due!

If you haven't sent in your dues yet for the Fiscal Year covering 7/1/08-6/30/09, please do so ASAP. Individual dues are $75.00, and dues for a Husband & Wife are $125.00

Contact Mike Pisano if you have any questions, or email info@wclunico.org

News from the National Convention

Hi All,

We are back from the National Convention, which was held at the Parc 55 Hotel in San Francisco. Andre' DiMino was elected Executive VP, Gene Santoli was re-elected National Treasurer, and I was re-elected National Secretary. Our chapter is the only chapter with three members on the Executive Committee, something of which we are very proud.

Kathleen Strozza from the Temecula, CA chapter was elected National President. As everyone knows, Kathi is our first woman President. She is very qualified and has our wholehearted support. David Donnini from the West Los Angeles, CA chapter was elected 3RD National VP, and Gerry Heytink of the Westwood chapter was re-elected National Expansion Director. Our Immediate Past District Governor Rick D'Arminio was elected National Membership and Retention Director. Our new District Governor is Joseph Verdone of the Greater Ramsey chapter. A full report of the convention will be in the next issue of ComUNICO, and I will post a few pictures here and on our website as soon as I receive them.

Many donations to our national programs and charities by chapters, districts, and individuals were made from the floor, totaling in excess of $150,000. As usual, our chapter made its annual donations to the UNICO Charities. We donated $250 each to COOLEY'S ANEMIA RESEARCH, MENTAL HEALTH, THE V FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH, UNICO SCHOLARSHIPS, & UNICO ITALIAN STUDIES CHAIRS, and $593 to ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL.

We have a busy year ahead of us with our fundraisers and events, including those to support Convention 2009 when our chapter will be honored to have Andre' Di Mino installed as National President. Additional information will provided soon, so watch the blog and the website in the weeks to come.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer.

Best regards,
Mike Pisano

Atlantic City Trip -- Aug. 24th!

Join us on Sunday, August 24th for a fun-filled, all-inclusive trip to Atlantic City!





We're heading to the fabulous Taj Mahal casino in an air-conditioned motor coach, leaving from the Tice Senior Center on Chestnut Ridge Road in Woodcliff Lake at 8:15am Enjoy refreshments as you ride in comfort--and give your lucky streak a jump start--with bingo and raffle prizes.


Tickets for this all-inclusive event are just $30 per person. When we arrive, you'll receive $25 in cash to spend at the casino AND a $5 food voucher. After about 7 hours of glitz, gambling and fun, we'll head back to the Senior Center, screening a new release movie during the ride back.


Best of all, this event supports the 2009 National UNICO Convention, where our own Andre DiMino will be installed as President of UNICO National.


Seating is VERY limited, so reserve your spot today to avoid disappointment. For more information, click here to view our flyer.

In Memoriam: Kenneth J. Chazotte

It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of Ken Chazotte, a charter member of Woodcliff Lake UNICO, and Past President of our chapter. Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife, Irma, their children, and his loving extended family.

CHAZOTTE Kenneth J., of Woodcliff Lake, NJ formerly of Paramus, NJ on Thursday, July 24, 2008. Beloved husband of Irma (nee Ferrante) Chazotte. Devoted father of Kenneth Chazotte, David Chazotte, Jeannemarie Nolan, Peter Chazotte and Julieanne Chazotte. Dear brother of Walter Chazotte, Sister Katherine Mary, Dona Brown and Kathleen Reynolds. Loving grandfather of five grandchildren. He was a member of the first graduating class from Bergen Catholic High School (1959) and a graduate of Iona College. A CPA, he was a founding partner of Bono, Chazotte and Dalle Molle, Montvale, NJ. An active member of the community, he was past president of the Paramus Chamber of Commerce, Paramus Rotary Club and Woodcliff Lake UNICO. He was also an active member of Our Lady Mother of the Church, the Knights of Columbus and the Woodcliff Lake Republican Club. Funeral Liturgy will be at Our Lady Mother of the Church, Woodcliff Lake, NJ on Monday at 10 AM. Interment, Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah, NJ. The family will receive their friends at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, NJ on Sunday, 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Memorial gifts to Our Lady Mother of the Church, Youth Activities Program, 209 Woodcliff Avenue, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 would be appreciated.

Published in The Record and Herald News on 7/25/2008

Reminder: BBQ at Mike's 7/24

Our next meeting will be a BBQ at Mike Pisano's house on Thursday, July 24th, just 3 weeks from today.  If you plan to attend this fun social event, please send an email to RSVP@wclunico.org and let us know you're coming.  Specifics regarding time and address will be provided via email.

UNICO Awards Dinner 2008

On Thursday, June 19th,  UNICO New Jersey District 9 held its annual Awards Dinner at Florentine Gardens in River Vale. The event was very well-attended, with representation from each of the local chapters in our district. 

We gave out several awards that evening, including our annual Scholarship Award to Marissa Danna of Immaculate Heart Academy. We're proud to report that Marissa is now signed up as a junior member of our chapter. Welcome, Marissa, and congratulations on your well-deserved award. 

Chapter President Paul Camella also had the honor of bestowing the Woodcliff Lake UNICAN of the Year Award to Donna Brown (seen here with Paul and District Governor Rick D'Armino, right), a dedicated member of our team who has volunteered countless hours of her time to Woodcliff Lake UNICO.  Her hard work and tireless service efforts help make our events successful, and are greatly appreciated. Thank you, Donna!

Last but not least, we were thrilled to have the Personette Family in attendance, particularly C.J. Personette, a local teen who was the recipient of the proceeds from our recent Beefsteak Dinner fundraiser.  C.J. is nothing short of a miracle: he survived a horrific accident last September, and has made incredible strides in his recovery.   It was wonderful to see him and have the opportunity to catch up on his progress.  His strength and courage is an inspiration to all of us--and his love of Italian cooking, especially calamari, was quite evident ;) 

Keep up the great work, C.J.!

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog for Woodcliff Lake UNICO.  Please check back often to read about our latest news and updates!