Solon Italian Club celebrates 50th anniversary and holidays

According to club member Bill Russo, it was a “memorable evening for all club members,” and some of the earliest members shared stories of the club from a half-century ago.

“We even had one member who hasn’t been attending for a while decide to rejoin the club, after attending this event,” Mr. Russo said.

The November holiday party is always a special event for club members, but this year it also included a time to celebrate what the club has done for the Solon community for the past 50 years now, he said. Members shared memories of golf outings, Man of the Year celebrations, dances and fundraisers.

Following the adult celebration, Dec. 11 was for club members’ children and grandchildren attending the annual children’s Christmas Party, complete with a visit from Santa Claus. Children and grandchildren look forward to this event every year, according to Mr. Russo. The club also sponsors a coloring contest for the children with prizes for various age groups.

The purpose of the Solon Italian Club is to promote the heritage, culture and traditions of Italian-Americans through social, educational and recreational events. The club also “advances the educational development of Italian-American youth by generating and distributing funds for collegiate scholarships.”

As the year comes to a close, Italian club members start thinking about next year’s activities, including what will be their 38th Easter egg hunt in Solon in the spring and their scholarship awards banquet towards the end of the school year.

Club members said they aren’t concerned about having enough volunteers for all of the upcoming events. After all, the club has had five decades of practice in providing service to the community.