Orange County is ready for a tribute to Carnevale, the most famous Venetian Festival, celebrated in Italy every year since antiquity.

The event is a partnership between the Orange County Medical Association, a non-profit voluntary physician member organization designed to promote "the art and science of medicine, the protection of public health, and the betterment of the medical profession", and the Italian-American community as part of their ethnic outreach.

This unique collaboration will benefit the rebuilding of La Lucciola, a rehabilitation facility for handicapped children, which was damaged in the recent Emilia Romagna earthquake. La Lucciola, which means firefly, is for children from 3 to 18 years of age with physical, mental, and multiple disabilities such as cerebral palsy, neurological disorders, Down syndrome and other genetic syndromes.

Carnevale will be held in the elegant Conference Center of the Orange County Medical Association on Saturday, February 9th from 6:30pm until 10:30pm. An Italian evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing with live entertainment is planned.

The event is generously being sponsored with donations from Il Fornaio Authentic Italian Restaurant of Irvine, Peroni Beer, Casa Torelli wines, Asti wines, and Visions of Venice. Music will be performed by James Bianchi with special guest appearances by Italian tenor Rosario Monetti, Christina Carabini & Antonina Pitruzzello. For Carnevale, guests are encouraged to come concealing their identity with masks, which can be purchased online at visionsofvenice.com with 10% of the proceeds benefitting La Lucciola. Masks will also be available for purchase at the event.

The Orange County Medical Association Conference Center is located at 17322 Murphy Avenue, Irvine, 92614. The cost is $80 per person. Tickets can be purchased at http://venetianfestival.eventbrite.com. You can also find us on Facebook.com/ OCMACarnevale.

For more information please call (949) 292-5057 or (949) 398-8100.

fonte: L'Italo-Americano