Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Next Sunday, 15 March, the San Donato dinner will be held. This event will be seeking to raise funds for the San Donato festival held later in the year. The event is organised by Scullin constituents Donato Polvere, Mauro Giusti, Fulvio Di Marco and others in the San Donato Committee.

The committee members are parishioners of the St Luke's Catholic Church in David Street in Lalor and they have been organising the annual San Donato festival for more than 30 years. This year the committee will be busy organising the 38th anniversary celebration for the feast of San Donato. The San Donato festival, which is held annually in August, is an important cultural and religious tradition for the local Italian community and is an event which they generously share with the broader community.

My predecessor, Harry Jenkins, often attended these festivals and spoke in this place about its importance to the local Italian community, which is such an important part of my electorate. I reiterate those sentiments. These festivals have become a part of the cultural fabric of the city of Whittlesea and are regularly attended by more than 5,000 people from the municipality and the broader Melbourne community.

I, too, have attended the festival and felt the pride of community members and such great warmth. The opera is particularly good too. I say to Donato, Mauro, Fulvio and all the committee members: Grazie mille. Saro orgoglioso di vedervi alla Festa di San Donato in Agosto alla chiesa di San Luca.

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