“An example of virtuous synergy between the enlightened entrepreneurs, the Institutions and a supportive community” . These are the words of the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, who with his personal message has virtually joined the celebrations for the Grand Opening.
On May 2nd at the presence of Andrea Bocelli and Renzo Rosso, respectively founders of the “Andrea Bocelli Foundation” and the “Only The Brave Foundation”, the “Giacomo Leopardi” middle school in Sarnano was officially inaugurated. This achievement is the result of the commitment of the 2 philanthropic organizations that in the record time of 150 days were able to rebuild the school hit by the earthquake exactly in same area where it used to be before.
Over two-thousand people attended the ribbon cutting Ceremony at the presence of many important celebrities from the showbiz and the charity world like Italian singer Renato Zero, Italian actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Sarah Ferguson who thanks to a SMS fundraising campaign launched last Fall at the “Celebrity Fight Night in Italy” marathon, had already given their precious contribution, as they took this small medieval village at heart and decided to support the ambitious pilot project.
Amongst the Authorities who attended the ceremony, Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction Paola De Micheli, the President of the Region Luca Ceriscioli, the Macerata Bishop Monsignor Nazzareno Marconi, the Mayor of Sarnano Franco Ceregioli and his fellow Mayors of the villages and towns hit by the earthquake.
However, the real protagonists of the day were the children, visibly thrilled and smiling, in front of a carrousel of spotlights and cameras. From tomorrow, with the first ring of the bell, together with their teachers they will have the duty to turn into educational opportunities this school is much more than a marvelous anti-seismic, eco-sustainable building, technologically advanced, which represents also a strategic center (from a cultural, sports and musical stand point) for a tourism-based community that was able to react with courage, cohesion and determination to the earthquake emergency.
The students of the Giacomo Leopardi middle school were able to follow, step by step, the rebirth of their school as they were temporarily hosted in the nursery premises, just a few meter away, so they could see from the windows the new building taking shape day after day. They could see at work the technical teams (companies and suppliers exclusively from the Marches region), that despite the harsh winter, worked under the rain or shoveled the snow, in order to complete the project within the established deadline, so that they could maintain the commitment taken with the town of Sarnano, but mainly with future and present students.
“It will be a new beginning … In the same place, where only ruins were left … It was heartbreaking”. These are the words of Benedetta, 12 years old, on behalf of all her classmates: “Then you came, and like heroes, you gave us new hopes with the reconstruction of the new school… And you did it not in exchange for money, but you simply wanted to help us and see us smiling again… Our hearts are beating like drums and we are impatient to walk into such an innovative and most important anti-seismic school, which was built by people who really love us”.
Andrea Bocelli and Renzo Rosso, together with the Vice-Presidents of the two Foundations Veronica Berti and Arianna Alessi, conceived, strongly desired and realized this building, which is complete and definitive, in perfect harmony with the environment, as it is the expression of beauty, as well as of extreme functionality.
On the stage set up in the school main entrance a special thanks was given to public and private Institutions what contributed to the project on the stage, in particular Fondazione Mediolanum Onlus, Osservatorio Giovani Editori, Associazione Nazionale Seniores Enel, SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers), ABB, Ass. Naz. Seniores, Anthony Scaramucci, Artigiana Elettrika Srl, Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica CLUB Z3mendi, Brian Gold and Family, Carlo Clavarino, City Council of Forte Dei Marmi, CONI, DeAgostini, Denis Vigo, Diesel, ENEL, EKO Music Group, the Donato Ammaturo Family, the Luciani Family, Fbt Elettronica SpA, Fondazione Marche, Fondazione Villa Bertelli, Gabriele e Arianna Andreucci, Giunti Editore, Gruppo Giardini Pistoia, Guardia di Finanza- Florence Unit, iGuzzini, Keep Memory Alive Foundation, Know How Solidale Org, LE Club SRL – Piacenza, Massimo Rebecchi, Metano Jesi Srl, Mondadori, Patrizia and Roberto Moroso, Perini Navi – Viareggio, Petra Nemcova, Rainbow SpA, Roberto Tordelli, Schnell SpA, Subissati, Vesmaco, Videoworks Spa.
Before the ribbon cutting ceremony, with the coordination of a great presenter, the singer Ilaria Della Bidia, several celebrities together with the Sarnano inhabitants sung together the National Italian Anthem. “Insieme – Tohether” has been the key theme to the success of this philanthropic success.