The Sons and Daughters of Italy Welcomed a Guest Speaker

At the April meeting, the Wakefield Sons and Daughters of Italy learned more about Cooley’s Anemia, or thalassemia, from speaker. Tracy Antonelli. The Cooley’s Cooley’s Anemia Foundation Foundation is a cause our Lodge supports annually. However, we didn’t understand all the progress that has been made as a result of our (and other) support until Tracy shared her experiences. What once was considered a genetic blood disorder that didn’t allow a person to live a long life, has change significantly. The Foundation supports research and treatments, which has allowed Tracy, and her three daughters, to live long and normal lives with thalassemia. After Tracy spoke, she opened the floor to questions – and we had many. We encourage anyone interested in learning more to visit the website.

After Tracy’s presentation, the Lodge discussed the upcoming initiation of new members, future meeting plans, an outreach activity and several social events. For example, members from several Lodges recently enjoyed a private screening of the independently-made film, Cabrini. It was excellent, and we highly recommend it.

If you’ve been anticipating our auction (formerly known as our Annual Charity Auction), we decided to have that event on alternate years. The auction has allowed us to raise funds for scholarships and to support charities but is also a big undertaking. We have scheduled the next auction on April 25, 2025. For the first time, it will be on a Friday evening. It promises to be a fun event and is open to the community.

Our meetings are also open to everyone interested in possibly joining our Lodge. We have many more meetings and activities planned which include (but aren’t limited to) bocce, a trip to Rockport, Giggles comedy show, Ipswich Wolf Hollow, mini golf at Richardson’s, meeting our scholarship winners and apple picking. Be sure to check out our Facebook page. If you want to speak with someone about the Lodge, contact President Paula at wakefieldosia@gmail.com. Our next meeting is Tuesday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m. at the West Side Social Club in Wakefield.