It is a much loved tradition at Villa Scalabrini and one that our Residents , their families and friends look forward to attending every year. The annual Family Outdoor Picnic went underway on a sunny Sunday morning, October 2nd, beginning with Mass celebrated by Fr. Antonio in the beautiful Chapel.

By noon time a crowd of approximately 350 people filled the courtyard that was decorated according to this year's theme, Country Western, with an abundance of bandanas, cowboy hats, sheriff's stars and more. Western attire was only optional, but many guests embraced the opportunity and the Villa's courtyard for this day resembled a small corner of Texas!

As for the food, chef Guy Masciotra and his staff provided an abundance of delicacies and a variety of choices to delight every palate. Suffice to say that wine and beer contributed to enliven the happy atmosphere! The program included children games, raffles and a Family Bingo.

The participation was enthusiastic and certainly encouraged by the opportunity of winning many beautiful prizes. All along The Trio musical ensemble performed happy tunes, adding the right touch to an event that went well beyond everyone's expectations: great attendance, good food, a lot of fun and many happy faces.

A warm thank you goes to all the residents and their families, to the volunteers who contributed to the success of the event, as well as to the many generous donors: Pontrelli and Laricchia for the sausages, San Antonio Winery and D'Aquino Imports for the wine, Profitime for the water, Mission Linens for the tablecloths, Savina Crosetti for the gorgeous gift baskets, and Ellen Tonin for the beautiful centerpieces and raffle items. Once again our residents, their families and all the "Friends of the Villa" showed us what we have long known: They are the best! We all look forward to next year's Family Picnic!