UNICO kc Newsletter 01/7/2025

"Anno Nuovo, Vita Nuova" Translation: "New Year, New Life" This captures the sentiment of a fresh start with the new year.

Upcoming Meetings/Events - Save The Date(s)

January Wednesday January 15th @V's Ristorante 10819 E US Highway 40 Independence, MO 64055 Cocktails 6pm Dinner at 7p

February TBD Working on 2/14 at American Jazz Museum

March Friday March 7th —Annual Shrimp Dinner @ St. Andrew’s Church (6415 NE Antioch Rd, Gladstone, MO 64119)

Happy New Year UNICO Familia,

The holiday season is behind us, and for many of us it was a bitter sweet end of the 2024 calendar year. I sincerely hope you spent much time with those that are most important to you.

I was able to celebrate with several of our annual family traditions. Two of my favorites have always been picking out our own fresh Christmas Tree the day after Thanksgiving, and our family gathering making our homemade ravioli. We have used the same cookie cutter to cut the dough since before I was born!

This holiday season we also shared in the loss of some very special family and friends, as several of our UNICO family said goodbye to loved ones. Please continue to keep these UNICAN’s and their families in your thoughts and prayers, as losing a loved one is hard enough without the weight of the holiday season.

But just as we say goodbye, the circle of life can rejuvenate our spirits. Welcome to the UNICO Family Joseph Philip Greenwood! Joe Phil was born to our UNICO Seargent At Arms, TJ Greenwood, and his wife Paula Jo (Scola) on December 23rd. Mama and baby are doing great, and TJ is a very proud papa.

Hopefully everyone has a fresh start to a new year, and 2025 opens more doors than it closes!

Holiday Dinner—Thank you to all that were able to attend our annual Christmas Dinner. My apologies for my tardiness, but family will always be first for me, and I had to be in Oklahoma with my girls. I was able to get back in time to enjoy a late meal with my wife and see a few of you as the evening ended. Thanks to Christopher Miceli and the Crowne Plaza staff for hosting, and Michael Mange for coordinating.

February Dinner—We have an opportunity for a private event on Friday February 14th for dinner with our significant others at the American Jazz Museum. The Dinner would be $100 per person and include 2 drink tickets (followed by cash bar), buffet dinner, private event at the American Jazz Museum with jazz band from 7-9pm and private tour groups of 6-8 people of the new Louie Prima Exhibit from 7:30-8:30pm. We will open this up to all friends and relatives, but everyone must pay the $100 per person. We need a minimum 100 confirmed attendees, so there will be much more to come. Please respond in a timely man-ner if interested when I send out the follow up communication.

Shrimp Dinner—Our annual Shrimp dinner will be on March 7th at St. Andrews Parish. We request all UNICAN’s purchase/sell 5 tickets to the event, and we will most certainly need your support as a volun-teer. More information to come.

Monthly Dinner: Please RSVP with the link provided. https://www.unicokc.com/events.html

If you are attending and would like to pay online, simply click the donate button and then note the dona-tion is for the next monthly dinner. If you are attending but would prefer to pay in person, please RSVP only at the right of the page. You will need to include your email and if you are only RSVP’ing for yourself you are done. If you RSVP’ing for additional persons please note that on the page.

Special Treat—please review the following pages as our very own UNICAN, Joan (Fisichelli) Brisimitzakis is gifting us her very own Cuccidati (Christmas Fig Cookies) recipe

Saluti,

Michael A. Cucchiara