OUR GOALS
The Princeton/Pettoranello Foundation is a non-profit, sister city organization founded in recognition of the contributions of Americans of Italian descent to the quality of life in Princeton, New Jersey; to act as a community service organization dedicated to providing community services; to creating cultural exchanges for educational and better societal understanding; to perpetuate the heritage and common bond between the Italian village of Pettoranello (where many Italian-American residents of the Princeton area are from) and the Princeton community as a whole.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Foundation over the past two decades has accomplished incredible things. The Pettoranello Gardens flourish, library support continues to fund materials on Italy and Italian culture, the exchange programs offer opportunity to broaden cultural understanding and establish friendships and the scholarship program fosters research on Italian art, architecture, literature and music.
We have received the COMMUNITY RECOGNITION AWARD of the Princeton Task Force on Ethics and we have won the NEW JERSEY PARK ASSOCIATION AWARD for Pettoranello Gardens. We credit this success to the generosity of donors and volunteers.
OUR HISTORY
The concept of a sister city relationship between the towns of Pettoranello di Molise, Italy and Princeton Township, Mercer County New Jersey, started in a conversation between three mayors, Marchand and Litvack of Princeton and Paolino of Pettoranello. They thought that such a relationship between the 3,000 Princeton descendants and the present townspeople of Pettoranello could be a vehicle to enrich both communities.
The organization, which started as a committee of a few interested people, within months, evolved into a full-blown Foundation. Its mission was to have cultural, medical, athletic and musical exchanges between the two cities, which materialized in 1992, 1994, 1996, 2002, 2006.
Over the years, the Foundation furthered its mission to include community services to Princeton, the town that did so much to help our immigrant parents and grandparents fulfill their dreams. We have devoted our financial and physical resources to restoring and maintaining approximately 13 acres of Community Park North referred to as Pettoranello Gardens; to the Princeton Public Library which now has a significant Italian collection of books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, and tapes; to award scholarships to local students interested in furthering their Italian studies; to cosponsor Italian students participating in the Gran Sasso summer program of Princeton University Physics Department; and to support the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and most recently, the Princeton High School Studio Band and the Art Council of Princeton.