The first edition of the 'Paolo Filippi' Memorial was presented today
The press conference for the first edition of the 'Paolo Filippi' Memorial took place this afternoon, Monday 4 September. At the Castellani Hall of the Chamber of Commerce of Alessandria, a day of sport and solidarity, of values and social value was presented. In addition to Paolo Filippi, on the evening of Saturday 9 September they will be honored and remembered Paolo Berta, founder ofIdea Association, and Fabio Bellinaso, a great basketball fan, a promoter of the area and a friend of Derthona Basket. To Idea Association e Dream Angels Onlus, created to remember Fabio and Tommaso Re Mariotti, who passed away prematurely, the entire proceeds of the evening will go.
Moderated by Benedetta Abbruzzese, Director of Communications of Bertram Derthona, the press conference touched on the world of sport and society and the memory of people who have done so much for sport and the territory.
The speeches were inaugurated Mauro Milan, President of the 'Paolo Filippi' Association: “There is a Paolo Filippi that everyone knows and a less well-known one. One sociable and helpful, the other a great sports fan, a fan of AC Milan and basketball, a sport that he practiced and followed. When we asked ourselves how to remember it, we thought of both a public event and a basketball game. For this I must deeply thank Derthona Basket, President Picchi, but also Giacomo Carrera and coach Ramondino. Therefore we are important to participate in this evening which will help two important associations".
“I am always left speechless when I talk about Paolo Berta because I know that no words would do justice to his person and everything he did for the associations – the words of Valerio Vanin, President of the Idea Onlus Association -. Paolo found a way to share what he did in associations, leaving an indelible mark on the territory. I have to thank Bertram, the Filippi Association and the Chamber of Commerce for their availability; I also thank the 30 Aprile Group. When Paolo passed away we wanted to carry forward some very important things: first of all, keeping the headquarters of the Idea Association open, a place where people in difficulty and with disabilities find a group that supports them and a purpose; the second was the opening of the information desk for families; the third, the organization of many social parties. Much has been done, and there is still much to be done to support people with disabilities. It's about understanding where we want to go with the contributions we receive. I can't wait to participate in this evening, because Paolo has opened me to the wonderful world of basketball".
The word then passed to Alice Pedrazzi, co-founder of Dream Angels and General Manager of BCC Derthona Basket: “Aggregation has always been the hallmark of Fabio and Tommy, to whom Dream Angels, the association dedicated to providing support to cancer patients, is dedicated, but also of Paolo Filippi and Paolo Berta. Aggregating people, worlds and environments is the essence of teams and sport: going beyond one's individual skills to multiply them. Here, this is the meaning of this day of friendly matches, especially because Derthona Basket, both men's and women's, has always been present in the area, both on and off the pitch, committed on a social and solidarity level. This is the wealth generated by sporting excellence: being ambassadors not only of the territory itself, but of values that reach the entire society. In short, be the inspiration for a more altruistic community. For this I want to thank the two teams, Bertram and Autosped, for this wonderful initiative".
The President of Bertram Derthona Marco Picchi ha aggiunto: “I believe there are two areas to consider: an institutional one, because Derthona Basket represents the territory, so when there is the possibility of doing something for the territory and for society we believe it is our duty to be present. The second is personal, because this evening we remember three people who were important to the world of basketball and also friends of mine. With Filippi we often talked about sports and shared a passion for politics. Paolo Berta was a friend of mine, but first of all Luigino's. I had dinner with Fabio Bellinaso a few weeks before he passed away and we talked about basketball, Serie A and A2 Women. On Saturday we will see two high-level matches, we will see beautiful basketball that will pay homage to these three people who unfortunately are no longer with us.".
"The BCC is a consolidated sporting reality that has a strong bond with the territory – the closure of Franco Fornito, Operational Vice President of BCC Derthona Basket -. We believe it is important to convey social values, so we are proud to play on the same field as the team coached by Ramondino, remembering Filippi, Berta and Bellinaso. We have already supported and continue to support the Franca Cassola Pasquali Association of Castelnuovo Scrivia and we believe it is important to continue the journey with other local entities, such as those with which we will share Saturday's event".
