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<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">Public Service Announcement<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">February 10, 2017<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">CAETANI
CULTURAL CENTRE RECEIVES MAJOR FUNDING FROM DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE
CULTURAL SPACES</span></b></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">The Caetani Cultural Centre is very pleased to
announce that they have received notification from the Minister of Canadian
Heritage of a successful funding application in the amount of $75,000. The
funding comes through the Department of Canadian Heritage Cultural Spaces Fund.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">Board president Angelika Jaeger stated “We have always
believed that the significance of the Caetani family, their unique and
heartbreaking story, and especially the legacy of the artworks and writings of
Sveva Caetani are of great importance to this area.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">This commitment from the Federal government validates
what we have been working so hard towards. This project is of huge significance
to this community and opens up wider arts programming and cultural heritage tourism
opportunities. It’s also bringing our tax dollars back into this region.”<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:13pt">Susan Brandoli, executive director for the Caetani
Centre, said “This grant from the Federal government will go a long way towards
our goal of opening up the house to public access. The project in total is
about $225,000, and includes improvements to the structure of the house,
upgrading the HVAC and electrical systems, and most importantly, the
installation of a fire suppression system.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:13pt">The sprinkler system installation is the missing key
we have been seeking in order to open up the house to public access. Without
this, our hands were tied for future development into a significant cultural
and heritage site. It will allow us to also to accommodate and expand our
public arts programming and events through the development of an additional
presentation space for this community.”</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">The City of Vernon and the Regional District of the
North Okanagan have contributed over the years to upgrading and maintaining the
120+ year old heritage house, located on 1.5 park-like acres on Pleasant Valley
Road. The investment by local governments has gone a long way towards attaining
matching funding from higher levels of government. Thanks to good timing in
2016 with the major infrastructure upgrade project on Pleasant Valley Road, and
the construction of the new traffic calming circle on 35<sup>th</sup> Avenue
directly in front of the Caetani Centre, they were able to capitalize on this
opportunity to replace aging water and sewer lines, and additional
infrastructure upgrades on the adjacent Caetani site.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">“We are so very grateful to all levels of government
for believing in our project, and listening to our future plans for the Caetani
Centre. This proves that great things can happen in this community when we all
work together to achieve our goals,” said Brandoli.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">It has been over 20 years since Sveva Caetani, beloved
teacher, mentor, artist and writer, passed away in 1994, leaving the house and
grounds to the City of Vernon for use a cultural centre. The Caetani Cultural
Centre Society was formed as a separate society in 2008 to directly focus on
seeing the bequest fully realized, and many individuals and volunteers have
worked tirelessly over the years towards this goal.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">Thanks to this recent funding commitment from Canadian
Heritage Cultural Spaces Fund, the Caetani Centre now has confirmed funding of
$177,000 in total of the $225,000 goal.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">“We still have about $50,000 to raise in order to
complete our remaining project funding goal. However, we are confident that we
can raise the remaining amount in 2017,” said Brandoli. “Additional funding
applications are in the works, and the Society will once again be going ahead
with its popular Splash of Red fundraiser on August 24.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">“The success of our organization is a direct result of
support from local artists, business and corporate sponsors, volunteers,
partnerships with other organizations, and also the local community who have
stuck with us over the years. Partial funding of this enormous project has also
come from the annual Splash of Red event. We can’t thank all these people
enough.”</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">2017 marks the 100<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the
birthday of Sveva Caetani as well as Canada’s 150<sup>th</sup> birthday. It
will be a year of celebrations!</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">“I think Sveva is smiling down on us today” said
Jaeger.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">For more information about the Caetani Centre please
visit our website at <a href="http://www.caetani.org">www.caetani.org</a> or
call 250-275-1525.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;font-family:arial">-0-<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-BodyA">Susan Brandoli<br></p><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Executive Director</div><div>Caetani Cultural Centre</div><div><a href="http://www.caetani.org" target="_blank">www.caetani.org</a></div><div>250-275-1525</div></div></div></div></div></div>
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