Sudbury's Caruso Club has honoured a local woman for her significant contributions as a community volunteer for more than sixty years.
Ofelia Morassutti of the Societé Caruso Ladies Auxiliary was recently presented with an award of recognition by other members of the auxiliary who felt her contributions were so outstanding that not only should Ofelia be recognized, but a new award was created in her name to honour future recipients for outstanding volunteer work.
Auxiliary member Emily Ungaro explained that Morassutti was deserving of special recognition.
"As we were reminiscing, especially, just prior to COVID, we obviously wanted to acknowledge all of her time and effort," said Ungaro.
"She still continues to be a part of volunteering for many events that are at the Caruso Club. And so we decided that we wanted to celebrate Ophelia for what she brings to us and who she is."
The tribute to Morassutti will now continue year after year when the auxiliary ladies decide to grant the Morassutti Award to another individual and legacy will continue.
"We decided that we would create a Volunteer Award that will be given annually to an individual who demonstrates some of her wonderful qualities that she's demonstrated over the 66 years," said Ungaro.
For her part, Morassutti said she was pleased with the honour, but a little taken aback. "Oh, they made too much of a fuss for me." She said she was happy to have so many good memories of living and working in Sudbury.
After emigrating from Italy in the mid-1950s, the family arrived in Halifax. A couple of years later, Morassutti said the family moved to Sudbury where there was a thriving Italian community.
She recalled going to church every Sunday with her grandmother, when one day a young man approached and offered them a ride home. That man, Mario Morassutti, would eventually become her husband.
"He was involved in the band at the Caruso," she recalled. Morassutti said that got her interested in the club. At one point, she was invited to help out at a fundraising dinner at the club.
"And that's how I started volunteering for them," she said.
"There was always something to do. And then later on, like, there was the choir and I got involved. We were the centre of the Italian community. It was more to keep our traditions and culture that way and then it just bloomed from there," said Morassutti.
She added that she managed to stay busy over the years but added the pandemic meant many things had to slow down.
"The years go by and as you get older you have to pull back a bit," she laughed.
She added that one of the benefits of getting older is that she has family members who are always willing to drive her to and from home to the club.
"That's a blessing, especially for the winter."
Morassutti said she is pleased that so many younger people are still involved in the Caruso Club because it is so important to keep community traditions, the language and the culture alive.
Len Gillis is a reporter at Sudbury.com.
