MEDIA ADVISORY: NIAF 32nd ANNIVERSARY AWARDS GALA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

EVENT: NIAF 32nd Anniversary Awards Gala

CONTACT: Elissa Ruffino – 202/939-3106, elissa@niaf.org

Actress Susan Lucci, Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, baseball great Yogi Berra, Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil, actor Tony Lo Bianco, legendary crooner Jerry Vale, singer Dion, Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Jr. and Antonin Scalia, Italy’s Ambassador to the U.S. the Hon. Giovanni Castellaneta and the U.S. Ambassador to Italy Ronald P. Spogli will join more than 3,000 guests from across the United States and abroad at the National Italian American Foundation’s 32nd Anniversary Awards Gala.

2007 NIAF Gala Honorees:
• Rudolph W. Giuliani, presidential candidate and former New York City mayor, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award for Public Service.
• William D. Novelli, CEO of AARP, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award for Public Advocacy
• Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award for Public Service
• Ellen Pompeo, actress on ABC “Grey’s Anatomy,” will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award in Entertainment
• Connie Stevens, actress, singer, and entrepreneur, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award for Humanitarian Service.

Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese will be recognized for launching a new NIAF program in memory of Jack Valenti, former head of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and a NIAF board member for more than 20 years.
Highlights of the weekend include a performance by rock and roll legend Neil Sedaka at the annual “Salute to the Martini” on Friday evening.

Dinner tickets begin at $400 per person. Attire: Black tie. Proceeds benefit NIAF educational programs and Gardens of Hope, a NIAF co-sponsored community garden project benefiting the homeless and those in inner-city shelters. For tickets or sponsor information, contact Carolyn Laurenzano at 202/939-3114 or carolyn@niaf.org, or register online at www.niaf.org.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to preserving the heritage of Italian Americans. Visit www.niaf.org .