Villa Charities Hosting Ceremony to Honour Italian Fallen Workers
Villa Charities and the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto, together with the Italian Fallen Workers Memorial Committee, invite you to honour the memory of Italian-Canadians killed in workplace tragedies on Saturday, April 28 at 3pm, at the Italian Fallen Workers Memorial Wall on the Columbus Centre grounds. We are also pleased to announce that Villa Charities, along with the Committee for the Italian Fallen Workers Memorial Project and the fallen workers and their families, will be presented the  Medaglia d'Oro al Merito Civile , one of the highest honours given by Italy, and the first time it is being awarded in Canada.

What's New At The Columbus Centre
Villa Charities Welcomes
Ally Reith as New
Director of Athletics
We are proud to announce Ally Reith has joined Villa Charities Inc. as the Director of Athletics. Ally comes to us with many years of diverse professional fitness and nutrition experience. Previously, Ally served as Fitness Director at GoodLife. Please give a warm welcome to Ally when you see her around the Columbus Centre.
Columbus Centre Summer Camp Introducing Three New Camps for 2018
The Columbus Centre Summer Camp features three inventive, new programs this year. Challenger Camp presents campers with brain-teasing challenges, Magic Camp gives kids a chance to learn various magic techniques from a professional magician and Be A Builder Camp allows campers to design and build unique creations using the newest Lego sets. Register your child for one these new camps or any of our other specialty camps today!

Ride, Eat, Repeat at 2018 Giro Cycling Fundraiser
The Villa Charities Giro cycling fundraiser has become well-known for its gourmet food and beverage offerings and this year's event will be no exception. Riders have many opportunities to indulge before, during and after conquering the route. Food stations include a fuel-filled breakfast at the Veneto Centre, authentic Italian gelato, pizza, cannoli and espresso, a prosciutto and parmigiano carving station, and more! Register for Giro today.

Columbus Centre to Host First-Ever Toronto Italian Book Festival
Villa Charities is proud to present  Librissimi – Toronto Italian Book Festival , May 4-5. Librissimi, organized by Com.It.Es Toronto, the Committee of Italians Abroad, is the first annual event dedicated to the promotion of Italian literature and books. There will be an opening reception on May 4 at 6:30pm. The Book Festival will take place May 5, from 10:00am to 7:00pm and will include presentations and panel discussions by Italian-Canadian authors and a literary marketplace. All programming will be held at the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery at the Columbus Centre.

Upcoming Cultural Tuesdays at the Columbus Centre
Our Cultural Tuesdays at the Columbus Centre series continues May 1 and 8 with two free presentations. Discover a diverse display of paintings and prints from the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery’s permanent art collection with curator Flavio Belli on May 1. On May 8, join us for the opening reception of Sergey Tesker’s “One Euro Italy” photography exhibition and “The Best of SOVA 2018” exhibit. Don’t miss these amazing opportunities to explore Italian art and culture!

Explore Toronto’s Art Scene with our Upcoming Cultural Outings
Our next cultural outing is a guided tour of the Aga Khan Museum, including the special exhibit “ The World of the Fatimids” on Sunday, May 6. Tickets are $60 (plus HST), including return trip transportation from the Columbus Centre. On Sunday, June 10, we will visit the Bata Shoe Museum for a guided tour of the special exhibit “Manolo Blahnik, the Art of Shoes” by our Executive Director of Cultural Programming Emanuele Lepri. Tickets are $20 (plus HST) and the deadline to book is June 1.

Ristorante Boccaccio Offering Special Prix-Fixe Menu Every Tuesday
Visit Ristorante Boccaccio every Tuesday for a special prix-fixe dinner menu before or after attending the Cultural Tuesdays at the Columbus Centre presentations at the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery. The menu of authentic Italian specialties includes a $23 or $35 option, each including a glass of wine, Prosecco or a non-alcoholic beverage, and coffee or tea.

DanzArts Toronto Participates in Sharing Dance Project
In March 2018, some of our DanzArts Toronto students and Villa Colombo Toronto residents participated in Canada’s National Ballet School’s Sharing Dance Day 2018 project, which encourages individuals to spread the joy of dance by learning a choreographed routine and sharing the experience. Watch the video of some of the highlights.

Adult Art Class Exhibit Opening Reception Showcases Student Artwork
The opening reception of the Adult Art Class Exhibit was held on April 9 and showcased the work of the students from our winter term adult art classes. The opening reception highlighted the talent of the students and their landscape paintings in acrylic and oil. There are limited spaces still available in the spring term adult art classes, which run Tuesdays from 1-4pm.

Child Care Centres Begin Italian Storytelling Program
The Columbus Centre and Centro Abruzzo Child Care Centres have begun a new program that will introduce Italian children’s literature to children ages 18 months to four years. Instructor Danya Buonastella will visit each centre weekly for storytelling, songs and rhymes with the toddlers and pre-schoolers. The program’s goal is to introduce Italian language and literature to the children.

Villa Colombo Toronto Begins New Gardening Program for Residents
Residents at Villa Colombo Toronto will be participating in the new Gardening Club Program in April. Residents will have the opportunity to explore the world of gardening by planting seeds and transplanting potted plants to prepare for the summer months, when they can move the garden projects outdoors.

Villa Colombo Vaughan Highlights
In May, Villa Colombo Vaughan residents will be celebrating a Mexican Fiesta for Cinco De Mayo with Latin music and churros. Villa Colombo Vaughan will also recognize the nursing team during National Nurses Week starting May 6.

A Message From A Valued Arts Partner
Enjoy an Evening of Classic Italian Music
Centro Scuola invites you to "Concerto all italiana" ,   an evening of classical music featuring a famous repertoire of Neapolitan songs. The concert takes place in the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery at the Columbus Centre on April 26 at 7:30pm. Guests will be transported to a long-ago era as a group of professional opera singers, with piano accompaniment, sing masterpieces of the Italian musical tradition.

Villa Charities Inc. | 416-789-7011 | info@villacharities.com | www.villacharities.com