Modesto area Italians, through the Modesto Lodge (#2021) of the Order Sons of Italy in America, were represented Sunday in the Italian Heritage Parade in San Francisco.
Gianna Cipponeri, the 2014-2016 Modesto Lodge Queen and Grand Lodge of California Miss America, rode on the back of a 2014 red Fiat through the parade route, driven by her mother, Terri Cipponeri. The parade route included Wharf area streets and Columbus Avenue and the North Beach area. The Modesto entry was greeted warmly by parade observers, with Italians, and non-Italians alike, who shouted out, “Modesto!,” and “Gianna, we are so proud of you!”
The Italian Heritage Parade is the nation’s oldest parade that celebrates Columbus Day in the United States.
For information, contact Donna Ferreira, President, Modesto Lodge #2021.
/Terri L. Cipponeri
