Order Sons of Italy
The Order Sons of Italy of Canada is an organization of men and women who are devoted to the celebration of Italian heritage, community service and charitable good works. We work together to achieve the following:
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Service and Charity - To assist the needy, the ill, and disabled through financial support,
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Community Involvement - To encourage the active participation of our members in the political, social and economic life of our community;
- Heritage - To promote and preserve the Italian language, culture, and traditions in our country.
The first lodge in Canada was established in Ontario in 1915. Currently, there are fifteen Lodges in Canada.
In the USA,
Order Sons of Italy in America has more than 600,000 members and supporters and a network of more than 650 chapters coast to coast, making it the leading service and advocacy organization for their estimated 26 million people of Italian descent
In Manitoba, there are three Lodges: the
Garibaldi Lodge (for men), the
Lupa Di Roma Lodge (for women), and the
Leonardo Da Vinci Youth Lodge (for those under 18 years old). Together, these Order Sons of Italy lodges are making a difference in our community.
Garibaldi Lodge (Winnipeg)
The Garibaldi Lodge was the first lodge of the Order Sons of Italy of Canada to be founded in Manitoba.
Our largest event is our annual
Gala dinner which has become the premier Winnipeg gala of the year, with sell-out crowds enjoying a wonderful dinner, and much fanfare. This is our major fundraiser, providing funds not only for a very large donation that night to a charity, but it also provides funds for our donations and support to other groups throughout the year.
We give not only to the community in general, but we also support a range of Italian groups, including the
Sons of Italy Splendore D'Italia Dance Group, who teach and perform traditional Italian dances, and the
Dante Alighieri Cultural Society who provides Italian language lessons for children and adults. We also support the
Sons of Italy Lions Soccer Club. Through our
scholarship programs we provide financial assistance to students of Italian heritage. Annually we sponsor various
awards that recognize Canadians of Italian descent who have done well in a professional or entrepreneurial capacity.
Of course, there are many other activities, such as our annual
Christmas Eve Feast to help those less fortunate at Christmas time, we have provided and served the dinner at the
Rossbrook House graduation ceremony/dinner, assisted St. Paul's High School with their
St. Paul's Annual Homecoming to add funds to the Sons of Italy Bursary Fund with the school, and in 2011 we even found time (and volunteers) to man a beer tent at the
Italian Folklorama pavilion.
To become a member of the Order Sons of Italy, an individual must be of Italian descent or married to a person of Italian descent. All such individuals of upright character, regardless of faith, are potential candidates for this non-sectarian Order. If you are interesting, you can read more about
membership or
email us for more info.
Order Sons of Italy, Garibaldi Lodge Incorporated
c/o Centro Caboto
1055 Wilkes Ave.
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 0W4
President: Justin Bova
email:
president@sonsofitaly.ca
