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Designating the week of Monday, October 3 through Monday, October 10, 2011 as "Christopher Columbus/Italian American Heritage Week" in the City of Philadelphia. This is done in celebration of the festivities commemorating Columbus' historic voyage to the New World and honoring Joe Piscopo as Grand Marshall of the 2011 Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade.
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WHEREAS, Five hundred and nineteen years ago, a courageous Italian visionary set out on what would become one of the most momentous journeys in the annals of history. Christopher Columbus and the maps he charted to the "New World" were guiding lights to every ship that came to America; and
WHEREAS, The annual Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade began in South Philadelphia in 1957, and has since become one of the City's premier ethnic celebrations. On October 9, 2011, the 1492 Society will host the annual parade. In addition to the active participation of the Delaware Valley's Italian American community, the Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade tradition includes the world famous Philadelphia Mummers string bands, outstanding high school and elementary school marching bands, and many other marching groups representing the various ethnic traditions of our great City. The parade seeks to foster a spirit of multi-culturalism and respect for people of all ethnic backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, The Grand Marshall of the 2011 Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade is the multi-talented star of television, film, and the Broadway and nightclub stage, Joe Piscopo. For over 25 years, Joe Piscopo has proven to be one of the brightest lights in show business with his wide-ranging talents as comedian, celebrity impressionist and actor. He has garnered millions of fans around the world since first joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1980. On SNL he developed unforgettable characters, including The Sports Guy, Doug Whiner, and dead-on impressions of David Letterman and, of course, Frank Sinatra. He went on to st...
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