TuttoToscana Fundraising Event: Le Formiche Take Over NY!
By Monica Liu and Daniel Yacoubian
On October 23, the second event of the TuttoToscana program was held at the 632onHudson venue. 632onHudson is a four-floor, refined, and artistic building with a rooftop space in the West Village. Guests arrived at 6pm to enjoy Poggio al Sole wines, Solosole and Mediterra. Our culinary team served finger foods and mini-sandwiches during the initial reception and checked out Florentine artist Andrea Mancini’s art exhibition titled “The Girl Who Counted Ants.”
The exhibition was the first taste guests had with the scope of the mission: fundraising for the FUA-AUF “Le Formiche” scholarships, instituted this fall by President Gabriella Ganugi.
President Ganugi opened the second part of the evening with a speech about the story behind Le Formiche. The word means “ants” in Italian and are cited in her memoir, a collection of memories and family recipes that tell the story of how a young girl from Tuscany ended up establishing an international school of hospitality.
The highlight of the evening was the NY debut of the Le Formiche fashion collection designed by President Ganugi. Models of all ages, shapes, and sizes wore resort-style pieces that are both casual yet elegant. The lounge area of the venue allowed guests to browse through the collection and other Formiche-themed items, accessories and the memoir and children’s book versions of “The Girl Who Counted Ants.”
From 8-10 pm, people enjoyed the buffet service of the menu the dining and lounge areas. A big favorite was the Solosole wine, both for the enthusiasm for the Vermentino grape and the way it paired with many of the menu items. Desserts drew a perfect evening to a sweet conclusion.
For our FOH team, we were lucky to have many engaging conversations with guests throughout the evening. We met individuals who came from near and far (including Italy) just for this event, and we learned about the worldwide reach of FUA-AUF. Our involvement went well beyond a wine pour, we had the opportunity to make people feel special, cared for, and a part of an experience that they will never forget.
