We hope you enjoy this edition of SIF in Focus. Thank you for your support of the Sons of Italy Foundation.

Sincerely,

Joseph J. DiTrapani

President

SIF in Focus

Spring 2014

Alzheimer's Association Releases 2014 Facts & Figures

These quick facts are from the Alzheimer's Association's report. | Image courtesy Alzheimer's Association

In March, the Alzheimer's Association released updated statistics for 2014 on the status of the disease.

The report "reveals startling statistics on the ever-growing impact of Alzheimer's disease on our nation, including new information on growing death rates, the cost of the disease and the disproportionate burden of Alzheimer's disease on women," Association Vice President Donna McCullough wrote in an email to supporters.

In fact, Alzheimer's Association Chief Strategy Officer Angela Geiger offers the alarming reminder that "... Everyone with a brain - male or female, family history or not - is at risk for Alzheimer's."

The Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) is a proud partner in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, with $2 million already contributed to research the disease. A member of the Alzheimer's Association's Zenith Society, the SIF has pledged an additional $2 million. With the help of dedicated supporters like you, we will do our part to find a cure and end this sixth leading cause of death in the United States. | See all the facts and download the full report from the Alzheimer's Association.

Help for American Heroes

Help Our Military Heroes provides wounded service members with modified vehicles to help improve their lives through increased mobility.

| Courtesy www.helpourmilitaryheroes.org

The Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) is growing its support for America's heroes, especially wounded warriors and veterans.

With support already provided to the Gary Sinise Foundation, Luke's Wings, the Wounded Warrior Project and directly to wounded warrior scholarship recipients the last three years, the Foundation will officially announce a new charitable recipient at next month's National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala in Washington, D.C.

Help Our Military Heroes, which provides modified and customized vehicles to wounded service members who might otherwise find these vehicles financially out of reach, will become the newest SIF beneficiary that has a focus on supporting America's wounded active military and veterans.

Stay tuned to announcements after the May 22 NELA Gala to learn how the SIF plans to help. | Learn more about Help Our Military Heroes

Cochlear Implants Help the Deaf Hear for the First Time

This video from BirminghamMailNews posted on YouTube shows a woman hearing for the first time, thanks to her cochlear implants.

You may have seen a few videos popping up recently - on social media, news websites and broadcasts - that show the miracle and joy of people hearing for the first time.

This miracle is achieved through science, and devices known as cochlear implants. The NIH's Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) describes cochlear implants as complex devices that "... give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech." According to NIDCD, in 2012 roughly 96,000 people in the United States had the implants, about 30% of the total number worldwide.

One organization working to make hearing a reality is the Rienzi Foundation for Cochlear Implant Research. Founded in 2005, it is dedicated to raising awareness and advancement of cochlear implants, with funding going to all facets of implant services from diagnosis to surgery, programming, rehabilitation and outreach. Recently, Foundation Chairman Michael Rienzi expressed his gratitude to the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) for being the single largest outside contributor to the Rienzi Foundation.

The SIF is proud to have played a part in generating these miracles through support of the Rienzi Foundation. | Learn more about the Rienzi Foundation.

IN THIS ISSUE

Alzheimer's Update

Help for our Heroes

Hearing for the First Time

"Why I Give"

9/11 Museum Opening

iGive Helps You Give

NELA Gala Preview

Why I Give

"As an American [born] of Italian parents, I feel that it is important for non-Italians to recognize the tremendous contributions of Italians to U.S. culture and worldwide culture. ... I feel that the SIF tastefully reminds people that Italians are part of the rich ever-changing diversity of the United States."

~ Vincent Forte, Sons of Italy Foundation supporter
San Francisco, CA | Why do you choose to support the SIF? Please send us an email to let us know.

9/11 Museum Opens 5/21

The National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City will open this coming May 21. The Sons of Italy Foundation contributed $100,000 to the creation of the memorial and the museum, which will always be free to 9/11 family members and rescue and recovery workers. | More about the Museum

iGive Offers New Way to Increase Support for SIF

The Sons of Italy Foundation is now listed as a cause on iGive.com, a service that connects you to online retailers who make donations to the SIF as a reward for your business.

It is free to use and iGive.com pledges you'll never pay more using iGive than you would with regular online shopping. All shopping, including payments, is done directly through the websites of well-known retailers like Macy's, Best Buy, Hotels.com and over a thousand more. Signing up for a free iGive.com account ensures that those stores give back to the SIF. | Sign up for iGive.

NELA Gala Set for May 22

The SIF's 2014 National Education & Leadership Awards Gala will be May 22 in Washington, D.C. This year's honorees are Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army LTG Flora Darpino, Transport Workers Union International President Harry Lombardo and Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Sen. Christopher Dodd. Joe Mantegna will again serve as master of ceremonies and Army Chief of Staff GEN Raymond Odierno will be among the special guests. | More about the NELA Gala

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About the SIF

The Sons of Italy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Order Sons of Italy in America, the oldest and largest organization for Italian-American men and women. The SIF is a 501(c)(3) charity, and donations are tax- deductible to the extent allowed by law.

To date, the SIF has contributed $128 million to scholarships, cultural preservation, disaster relief, medical research and services, and other special projects.

___________________________

Sons of Italy Foundation
Anthony J. Baratta, Chairman
Joseph J. DiTrapani, President
Philip R. Piccigallo, Ph.D.,
National Executive Director/CEO

SIF logo

�2014 The Sons of Italy Foundation
The Sons of Italy Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Donate online | Donate by phone: 800-552-OSIA (6742)

Sons of Italy Foundation
219 E Street, NE | Washington, DC 20002
202.547.2900 | 202.547.0121 (fax)
sif@osia.org | www.osia.org/sif