In Honor of a Wonderful Father and Husband

On Saturday, July 13th, I had the honor of attending the 1st annual dinner/dance to celebrate the life of Michael (“Mikey”) Sibrizzi. I did not know Michael, but I do know that he was the beloved husband of Ro Sibrizzi and father of Frankie Sibrizzi, a GiGi’s participant. Based on the stories shared by his family and long-time friends, I know he was a kind, loyal man who was dedicated to his family, friends and community.

          Ro, Frankie and Dani at the event.

Shortly after Mikey’s death, Ro reached out to us at GiGi’s and said she wanted to plan a special event to honor her late husband. Because GiGi’s plays such an important role in their lives and has been so valuable to Frankie (Frankie participates in Teen Tastic and Literacy Tutoring), they wanted it to be a fundraiser for GiGi’s Westchester.

The event took place on the one-year anniversary of Mikey’s death. It was a celebration of his life and the room was filled with love. Ro spent nearly the whole year planning for this day, and her dedication, resilience and perseverance all while grieving her husband resulted a successful event that raised over $5,000 for GiGi’s playhouse.

The Sibrizzi Family presenting us with the check.

Her ability to turn a tragedy into an opportunity to do good for others and impact so many more, is inspiring and uplifting.

We are truly grateful to Ro for choosing GiGi’s as the organization to benefit from her event celebrating the life of Mikey. We in turn will honor Mikey by renaming and dedicating the Learning Lab where Frankie receives tutoring, the Mikey Sibrizzi Learning Lab.

 

Gwyneth Meeks

Co-President, GiGi’s Playhouse Westchester Board of Managers

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