The Caruso Club, a cornerstone of Sudbury’s Italian community, is gearing up to host its annual Bella Donna event on Feb. 21, with a goal of raising $2 million to fund renovations aimed at preserving and promoting Italian culture and language in the city.
The club, which has long been a hub for Italian heritage, plans to modernize its facilities, including its restaurant, member lounge, and bocce courts, which have remained largely untouched since 1992. The renovations will also expand the club’s educational offerings, such as Italian language classes and cooking lessons, to meet growing community interest.
Sharon Oliver, a student in the club’s Italian language program, has been attending classes for two years in hopes of becoming fluent.
“I am Italian, but I wanted to be a real Italian woman,” Oliver said.
“I had a trip planned, and then I had a longer trip planned, and now I have another trip planned. So, I’m hoping to be fluent by the end of these courses and I’m getting there.”
The Caruso Club has offered beginner Italian classes for years, but recent demand has led to the introduction of advanced-level courses. Diana Colilli, chair of the club’s Education and Culture Committee and a former Italian culture and language professor at Laurentian University, has been instrumental in expanding the program.
“We have a big Italian community that lost one of its points of reference at Laurentian,” Colilli said.
“So, this is the place to be if you want to learn to be Italian, to cook Italian, to speak Italian. You have to come to the club.”
Stephanie Sindoni, president of the Caruso Club, emphasized the importance of updating the facility to better serve the community, when speaking with CTV News.
“Most of this main floor has not been renovated since 1992,” Sindoni said.
“Our restaurant hasn’t been touched in well over 30 years. So, the goal is to update the restaurant, the members lounge, the bocce courts, the entire main floor so that it serves dual purposes and is changing with the needs of the club.
The Bella Donna event, a key fundraiser for the renovations, will take place on Feb. 21. Tickets are available online or by calling the Caruso Club office at 705-675-1357.
Those interested in supporting the Italian learning centre can contact Diana Colilli at paulcolillifoundation@gmail.com.
The Caruso Club’s efforts reflect a broader mission to strengthen Italian heritage in Sudbury while adapting to the evolving needs of its members and the wider community.
