Following the dramatic events caused by the flooding in Emilia Romagna, the Casa Optima Group, leading multi-brand group in the sector of ingredients for artisanal gelato and pastry making, chose to support the Sarti School of Music in Faenza, through a fundraising campaign launched amongst the employees of the three operational headquarters in San Clemente (RN), Cuvio (VA) and Bistagno (AL) generously donating an hour of their salary.
The sum raised by the Group will be allocated in part to the purchase of quality violins, which will allow the students to resume their studies, and part will go towards the promotion of the “Soavi armonie” concert season, that will take place from October to December at the MIC (International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza), and towards the realization of a concert event in collaboration with Casa Optima entitled ‘Symphony of Gelato’, that took place on Tuesday the 12th of September in the gardens of the Museum.
A one-of-a-kind event where the protagonists were the Music, with the String Ensemble of the Sarti School of Music and the Toscanini Next Quartet and of course the Gelato, that was offered to the public thanks to the kind cooperation of the ice-cream parlour ‘Grand Prix La Torteria’ in Cesena and the company Sanciocart.
The Sarti Music School is a particularly important reality, which welcomes around 500 aspiring musicians each year, it represents a cultural and social meeting point for the city and the surrounding area. Situated in the heart of the city centre, within the former Salesians Complex, it is a modern, safe, accessible venue, in which all rooms have been designed to perform musical activities to their best ability, with suitable spaces and equipment.
Unfortunately, the flood in May 2023 caused extensive damage to the structure: of the total 2000 square metres, 1000 were damaged, with a total of 15 classrooms equipped with amongst other things, 10 grand pianos and 30 violins.
“Emilia-Romagna is the region where our group’s headquarters are located, it was impossible to remain indifferent to what was happening around us,” said Francesco Fattori, CEO of the Casa Optima Group. “We immediately took steps to support our customers whose businesses were located in the affected areas, as well as facilitating the voluntary initiatives of our employees, providing the means and tools necessary for first aid activities. Subsequently we launched a fundraising idea, giving all our employees the possibility to participate by donating one hour’s pay from their salary, and I must say that we were extremely impressed by the level of participation. The decision to devolve the donation to the Sarti Music School is fully in line with the path of supporting culture and art, young people, and the territory, which our Group has been pursuing for several years now.”
“It is a great pleasure to be able to thank publicly the generosity of Casa Optima which with their commendable gesture, we will be able to support our violin students who will receive new instruments and will also have the opportunity to demonstrate the power of music in the showcase of the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza,” said Donato D’Antonio, Director of the Sarti School of Music in Faenza.” The perspicacity of Casa Optima allows us to proceed with greater serenity the “Soavi Armonie” that will take place from October to December 2023 at the MIC”.