On June 20 Dr. Salvatore Ferrera, president of Xaverian High (Photo: Right) honored me for my community service and the non-profit work I do with the school, my alma mater, and other organizations at the President's Gala, attended by more than 300 people at the upscale Cipriani 23rd Street Restaurant in New York.
I am honored to have been able to assist this fanantastic school in its fund-raising efforts, and in particular for the school's annual Joe DiMaggio Award, which was established in 1999 by its chairman, Dr. Rock Positano '76, with the approval of the DiMaggio Estate, and in memory of the baseball legend. DiMaggio was a friend and generous supporter of the prestigious Bay Ridge college preparatory school, Xaverian High School, and was the first individual to receive Xaverian's highest honor, the Concordia Award, in 1997.
"Rocco is a great advertisement for Xaverian," said Dr. Ferrera. "Even a quick review of his high school record...as both a scholar (National Honor Society) and extracurricular activities (Intramural sports, Italian Club, hockey and soccer teams, and the Fishing Club) indicates... Rocco is a man who was comfortable with giving much time to his community as well as his school."
Here's how the Joe DiMaggio Award came about. When Joe died in 1999, Xaverian's Concordia Award was renamed the Joe DiMaggio Award to memorialize his life-long commitment to the health, education, and well being of America's youth. This award has been presented to international statesman Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Regis Philbin, Paul Simon, James Gandolfini, John Bello, Boomer Esiason, Bob Costas,Tiki Barber.
Xaverian Higg also honors students from different eras for their outstanding achievements and dedication to their communities and country. The Exploration Honors Program at the high school is designed to cultivate the talents, interests and scholastic aptitude of its ninth and tenth grade students through an interdisciplinary approach to academic study.
Xaverian High School - President's Gala June 20, 2008
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