WHEELING — The 35th annual Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival officially kicked off Wednesday at the McLure Hotel as nearly 200 festival supporters gathered for a dinner honoring the Italian-American of the Year 2017, former Ohio Senator Lou Gentile.
“We are very pleased to see Lou Gentile honored as Italian-American of the Year for all he has done in Jefferson County, in the political arena, and for what he has done to support the culture Italian through the Italian-American Cultural Club and Campo Italiano in Steubenville,” said Ron Castellucci, festival president.
Gentile was introduced by former U.S. Rep. Zack Space, who is currently running for Democratic auditor for Ohio. He spoke about his own heritage as a Greek-American and drew parallels to the Italian-American experience.
“The values that we carry as children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of immigrants have been passed on. These are the values that Lou embodied. He is the product of a great family. » Said Space. “These values of dedication to family, hard work and commitment to communities are what Lou embraced and became. He applied these values to his adult life.
Born to first-generation Italian-American parents, Lou Sr. and Carmella, Gentile, 38, has dedicated his adult life to public service. He began his career in government service and politics campaigning for former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. He later served in the Appalachian governor’s office and as a representative in the Ohio House before serving in the Ohio Senate. He ran for office in 2016 and was defeated by Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction, in the November general election.
“I saw firsthand Lou’s dedication to the coal industry during his time in the State Senate. No one worked harder for coal than Lou Gentile. » Said Space. “I couldn’t help but notice that this is the industry that many of our ancestors got into when they got here.”
Space went on to praise Gentile as someone who fought for those in Southeast Ohio who had no voice in Columbus. He said he was proud to be part of his campaign and touted Gentile’s love of his family and loyalty to his friends, his honesty and reliability, and his ability to make excellent pasta.
“Lou was the victim of a trend, of a political wave” » Said Space. “There is no justice in politics when a guy like Lou falls. There was no better fighter for Italian-Americans or Southeast Ohioans.
Gentile then took the podium, expressing his gratitude for the honor and crediting his family and heritage with most of the credit for his success. He spoke about the importance of his Italian ancestry, the need to carry on the values of those who came before him, and the need to care for the community as a whole.
“Our ancestors would be truly proud that what we are doing here tonight and throughout this weekend is investing in our youth. It’s about creating opportunities for our young people to obtain scholarships to pursue higher education or to learn culture,” Gentil said.
He pointed out that many Italian immigrants, including his grandfather, literally arrived in the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
“I try to imagine that experience and wonder if someone could have gone back in a time machine and told my grandfather that his grandson would one day work for a governor and serve in the Ohio House and Senate. He probably would have told them to get out of his way, in Italian. Nice added.
He said these immigrants were not selfish people and they didn’t come here because they just wanted to get rich. He told festival supporters in attendance that they were doing the right thing by supporting their communities.
“They understood that coming to this country meant they would have better opportunities for their family and loved ones, but that they would also contribute to the community and help build a better future for future generations. » Gentil said. “I think the festival achieves this by awarding scholarships to these young people… and by sending the same signal as our ancestors: that we are going to invest in future generations. »
Gentile concluded by noting that he understands the gravity of the recognition as Italian-American of the Year, highlighting the accomplishments of previous honorees.
“I am touched by this recognition. But for me, we should take this weekend to celebrate our culture, to remember who we are as a people, what we have done as a community. Gentil said. “And for our culture and heritage to remain intact, to progress, to be preserved and protected, we must continue to invest in our young people and provide them with the same opportunities as our parents, our grandparents and our young people. our ancestors gave us.
Opening ceremonies for the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival are scheduled for Friday at noon and the festival continues Saturday and Sunday at the Heritage Port in Wheeling.
