PARSIPPANY — It literally takes hours to create the perfect tomato sauce, or gravy as some will argue, but that is a battle for another day. And being the Sons of Italy, you know that nothing less than a great sauce will suffice. On Saturday, December 4, hours before this year’s “Parsippany Wrestling Pasta Dinner Fundraiser” was set to begin, a group of the Sons of Italy’s crack team of Chef’s, led by John Gangone and Joe Jannarone, arrived at the Township’s P.A.L. building on Baldwin Road in preparation for the crowd’s arrival scheduled for 6:00 p.m. that evening. The Sons of Italy-Lodge 2561 who provided the food for the event was as anxious as everyone else to start the day. Someone was heard commenting that John’s sauce, “was as good as any sauce they ever had.”
By 6:30 the spacious dining area, filled with over two hundred hungry wrestling supporters, was ready for an all-you-can-eat Italian dinner of salad, pasta, and meatballs, and of course, plenty of desserts. The energized room was filled with laughter and lively conversations, while the kids ran around obviously enjoying each other’s company. The back of the room is set up beautifully, with numerous decorated baskets, in preparation for the evening’s Tricky Tray raffle. 50/50’s, Lotto Wreath Tickets, and a Birthday Calendar raffle were also available to try out your luck, and by the end of the evening, there was a lot of smiling, happy winners.
President/Commissioner, Robert Campbell Jr., and P.A.L. Board Member, Beth Caponegro, welcomed the crowd recognizing Mayor-Elect James R. Barberio and Councilman Elect Frank Neglia who came out to support the cause, as well as the new Board members of P.A.L. Wrestling. Ms. Caponegro proudly and optimistically reported that there are presently over seventy kids in the program, a supportive home base, a full schedule, and lots of new coaches. Deanna Fox, Julie Wallace, and Kellie Anderson were also noted for their hard work and efforts in making the event come together.
Speaking to Ms. Caponegro later during the event, she stated, “We want to give the kids of Parsippany the opportunity to wrestle and compete. Most importantly, to learn the fundamentals of wrestling and learn how to win and lose with respect and dignity. We are proud to be a part of the P.A.L. Wrestling family.”
Also recognized was Head Coach Albert, warmly described as the backbone of the program, and lastly, June Madia, the founder of the program which began in 1996. At that time Ms. Madia was the head of the Parsippany Hills High School Booster club, and in 2003 started the town’s Junior Vikings. In 2010, the Junior Vikings merged with the Red Hawks and became the Wrestling club that was the focus of the evening’s fundraiser. As Ms. Madia stood, she was met with a well-deserved round of applause.
An enjoyable time was had by all, and a great local youth program was enhanced by all those who came out to offer their support. Keep up the great work and “Go Parsippany Wrestling”!
