Montreal’s Mariners’ House held its 4th Festa Italiana luncheon on October 10th, in the Iberville Maritime Terminal on a clear and bright day. Over 550 guests enjoyed a gourmet Italian meal prepared by the Iacono family of the famed Le Muscadin Restaurant in Old Montreal.
This event has become a popular fundraiser for Mariners’ House, the seafarers’ centre which held its 150th anniversary last year. However, without the assistance of dozens of volunteers, this would have been an impossible undertaking. As well as the large organizing committee headed by Michael Fratianni, CFO of Montreal Gateway Terminals, members of the Maritime Employers’ Association and the Longshoremen’s Union were invaluable for assisting with the set-up of the hall and the clearing away.
Mariners’ House will not be holding its annual ball his year, so the $40,000 raised by the sale of tickets and sponsorships is an important income for this charity and will be used in its work caring for the practical and moral welfare of seafarers.
This festive event reinforces the community spirit of those who work within the boundaries of the Port of Montreal and whose livelihoods are reliant on the work of the world’s seafarers.