ROMA LODGE #1573

Pictured above is a partial group of Roma Lodge members who organized and conducted our Italian food booth at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, February 11-13th.  The World Ag Expo was started at the Tulare Fair Grounds in 1968 and moved to the International Agri-Center in 1982 and has grown to 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space.  Roma Lodge is one of the only organizations that has been at the show from the very beginning.

For the past 12 years Michael DePaoli, Maci DePaoli-Daramy and Melissa-DePaoli-Watkins have served as co-chairs for the booth.  This effort takes countless hours in preparation, organizing and conducting the booth each year. This year we had a lot of rain our last day of the show which always reduces the number of visitors. Roma Lodge promotes the Italian Culture to the more than 100,000 visitors from all over the world.  Our booth proudly displays our heritage in memory of those Italian immigrants who started the lodge back in 1930.

  Roma Lodge past president Charlie Pitigliano celebrated his 75th birthday before the show when lodge members came together to cut onions and make sauce for the week.  Charlie is a 46-year member of the lodge and has served as the World Ag Expo show chairman, is on the WAE board and former Farmer of the Year of Tulare.  He and his family are big supporters of the show since it started in 1968.

Sisters Karen DeGroot and Joyce Hofstee prepare lunch at the show for members during sauce making day.  The return each day of the show and help wait on customers, bring snacks for the members working and are always available to help with whatever is needed to make the booth a success.

These young members were actively involved in the operation of the booth, waiting on customers, preparing food, and taking an active part in the farm show.  They are the future and will remember these activities that will keep them engaged for the future of the lodge.