By Karen Zandi, Mary Cariola Center President/CEO
Karen Zandi demonstrating her 75th Anniversary spirit!
The old cliché, “time flies” rings true here at Mary Cariola. We’ve surpassed the halfway mark in the year, and we realize that there’s only five more months to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of our independent, non-profit agency. But fear not, we still have a number of fun, exciting and meaningful celebrations taking place as we plan to “party like it’s 1949.”
So far this year we’ve had celebrations with our donors, and corporate partners. Classroom parties along with residential and school dances have all taken place. We’ve received an incredible amount of publicity and congratulations from the Rochester media and from our elected officials.
As we look to the remainder of this anniversary year, we focus on celebrating with our families of our students and residents, alumni from school and residences, and the unsung heroes and the heart of our agency, our staff, past and present.
For 75 years, the staff at Mary Cariola have been committed to the children, youth and young adults we serve. Dedication and commitment are not buzz words at Cariola. Those words represent the mission and drive that Mary instilled back in 1949. And this goes not only for our current staff, students and residents, but also for those who came before us. Our retirees in school and residences have helped bring us to this point in time and those who lived with us and graduated from our school have benefitted from their expertise.
Our 75th Anniversary committee, with my full support and gratitude, have planned a few important events, and we want to include retirees, alumni and their families. On September 22, the anniversary edition of “Walking on Sunshine” will feature a special VIP “pre-walk” breakfast for retirees and alumni. This group of invitees will also lead the walk and be recognized by all in attendance. Additionally, we will be collecting messages, both written and on video to place in our anniversary time capsule that will be stored and opened during the agency’s 100th anniversary.
Additionally, on October 27th, we will host a Cariola community event at Lovin’ Cup Bistro and Brews in Henrietta with music, raffles, prizes along with food and drink. This event is open to all in our community and is a special invitation to our alumni families, current students and resident families as well as retirees.
What has been most enjoyable to me so far this year is the excitement and support of our staff in celebrating in commemorating this remarkable anniversary. 75 years of continuous service to the Rochester community is a milestone that most likely, Mary herself never thought possible. I look forward to these events and welcome everyone back to celebrate!!
