A bridge of Roses - Un Ponte di Rose

ENGLISH • ITALIANO

Goal Meter

List of Donors

Mamma Rosa
( $ )

Simbi
( $ )

Cesare Luciana e Giorgio Aimar
( $ 800 )

The Kane Family
( $ 1000 )

Michaela and Cassandra Kane
( $ 500 )

Helena Froehlic and family
( $ 300 )

The Lang family
( $ 200 )

The Place family
( $ 100 )

Russ Olevsky
( $ 350 )

The Dublin family
( $ 650 )

The Adams family
( $ 150 )

The Kramer family
( $ 100 )

The Wasser family
( $ 100 )

The Wu family
( $ 150 )

Donald Eoin Reilly
( $ 250 )

The Gupta family
( $ 75 )

The Dimitriou family
( $ 100 )

The Halfman family
( $ 260 )

Joanne Lutz & Mark Lesses
( $ 100 )

The Manzella & Georgiopolus Family
( $ 275 )

The Butler family
( $ 20 )

The Fallon family
( $ 100 )

The DeJesus family
( $ 120 )

The Kaufman family
( $ 270 )

The Reyes family
( $ 210 )

The Robelen Family
( $ 1550 )

Majlis Jalkio
( $ 40 )

The Young Family
( $ 300 )

The Carter Family
( $ 165 )

The Fisherman Family
( $ 550 )

Anne Kubik and The Krupka Family
( $ 250 )

The Spencer Family
( $ 100 )

The Chen Family
( $ 70 )

The Sondergaard Jensens Family
( $ 155 )

The Martinez Family
( $ 20 )

The Conrad Family
( $ 125 )

The Kohane Family
( $ 450 )

The Aroian Family
( $ 300 )

The Asmus Family
( $ 80 )

The Cohen Family
( $ 150 )

The Vasil family
( $ 125 )

The Joyce Family
( $ 750 )

The Patykowski Family
( $ 20 )

The Bennets
( $ 100 )

Katherine Dibble
( $ 2900 )

The Wang Family
( $ 40 )

The McDonough Family
( $ 150 )

Lily Collins and The Collins Family
( $ 1150 )

The Hallal and Brightbill Family
( $ 125 )

The Walske Family
( $ 500 )

The Ng Family
( $ 200 )

Kellie Ng
( $ 10 )

The Theodore Family
( $ 50 )

Chiaki
( $ 10 )

Si On
( $ 30 )

Elizabeth Crowley
( $ 125 )

McGoldrick Family
( $ 20 )

The Berkenblit Family
( $ 250 )

The Kierstead Family
( $ 600 )

The Low Family
( $ 300 )

Diego Gianoglio
( $ 50 )

The Colman Lerner Family
( $ 50 )

Jessie
( $ 40 )

Kathy Lin
( $ 30 )

Elena Ksikan and Family
( $ 30 )

Isabelle & Sophie Lefebvre
( $ 25 )

The Vezza family
( $ 65 )

Suzanne Freitag & Family
( $ 290 )

Ryoko Tokoro & Family
( $ 30 )

The Baker Family
( $ 55 )

Selina Pandolfi & Family
( $ 400 )

Tracie Longman and the Kanojia Family
( $ 2050 )

The Starr Family
( $ 200 )

Scott Hayes
( $ 200 )

Amy Brand and Family
( $ 100 )

The Keravuori Family
( $ 175 )

Esta Epstein & Family
( $ 300 )

Betsy Graves Akerstein
( $ 50 )

The Cohen & Fredman Family
( $ 30 )

Ponte Lucia e Ponte Pina
( $ )

The Ghemawat Family
( $ 300 )

Sabrina Halloran and Family
( $ 20 )

Kefira Allen and Family
( $ 100 )

The Nicholson Family
( $ 50 )

The Zupancic Family
( $ 450 )

The Friedman Family
( $ 150 )

David Gross
( $ 110 )

The Huang Family
( $ 40 )

The Philbin Family
( $ 100 )

The Hsiao Family
( $ 50 )

Luz Hornicek and Family
( $ 750 )

Francesca Sirignano & Family
( $ 115 )

Emma Caponi & Family
( $ 80 )

The Quinn Family
( $ 200 )

Richie Ladue
( $ 50 )

The Cotney Family
( $ 50 )

Sarita Uribe Hall and Family
( $ 30 )

Roland St. Jean & Orlando Della Valle
( $ 50 )

Olga Mederova, Alex and baby Charlie
( $ 50 )

the Beker family
( $ 30 )

The Shanahan Family
( $ 150 )

Amy Barnett and Family
( $ 180 )

The Toone Family
( $ 100 )

The Compaine Family
( $ 150 )

The Costello Family
( $ 100 )

The Perry Family
( $ 50 )

The Powers Family
( $ 50 )

The Thomas Family
( $ 250 )

Peter Lachman
( $ 40 )

The Samaraweera Family
( $ 150 )

The Caldicott Family
( $ 500 )

the Nystrom Family
( $ 150 )

The Goodrich Family
( $ 210 )

Richard Monaghan & Neila Monahan
( $ 100 )

The Sconyers Family
( $ 150 )

George Moccia & Doug Hill
( $ 100 )

Sonia
( $ 40 )

The Terpstra Family
( $ 100 )

The Monoghan & Allen Family
( $ 60 )

Vivian
( $ 10 )

Amelia Rhee
( $ 30 )

The Lassar Family
( $ 100 )

Ashley
( $ 30 )

Barbara Bower & Family
( $ 90 )

Lia e Mauro Costa
( $ 200 )

Hannah Joyce
( $ 20 )

Vince Porgi
( $ 40 )

The Miller Family
( $ 100 )

The Heier Family
( $ 450 )

The Schiciano family
( $ )

The Gautam Family
( $ 30 )

Andra Hotchkiss & Family
( $ 50 )

Ludovica Mottura e Famiglia
( $ 200 )

Eliza Fortenbaugh & Family
( $ 30 )

Mimi & Robert Ferrell
( $ 25 )

Anonymous
( $ 1000 )

Jennifer Gonzalez & Family
( $ 80 )

Maya Chakar
( $ 30 )

The Blum Family
( $ 100 )

Beatrice Affron & Family
( $ 130 )

The Russell Family
( $ 100 )

Meg Gurnon & Family
( $ 100 )

Estelle Lung & Family
( $ 32 )

The Mulcahy Family
( $ 125 )

The Kuznetsova Family
( $ 100 )

Sophie Li and Family
( $ 80 )

Worth Douglas
( $ 200 )

Michael Graf and Family
( $ 220 )

The Rozzo family
( $ 15 )

The Donovan Family
( $ 95 )

The Boasberg Bierly Family
( $ 600 )

Katie Chuang & Family
( $ 250 )

The Jackson Saitz Family
( $ 100 )

The Detemple & Knight Family
( $ 200 )

Grace Smith & Lila Newberry
( $ 40 )

Louise Bonegio & Family
( $ 100 )

Raina & Leslie Stacks
( $ 250 )

The Sobieszczyk Family
( $ 100 )

The Xiaoduo Fan Family
( $ 100 )

The Recht Family
( $ 60 )

Alexandra Wilson and Family
( $ 150 )

Ed and Emily Crowley
( $ 100 )

Sophia
( $ 20 )

Heather Horniceck
( $ 26 )

Carol an Paul Coradeschi
( $ 100 )

Nicholas Bae and Family
( $ 50 )

Mariam & Family
( $ 40 )

Elizabeth Wing Lau & Family
( $ 20 )

Chelsea Mabbott & Family
( $ 25 )

The Lessard Family
( $ 50 )

The Langenfeld Family
( $ 60 )

The Kay Family
( $ 200 )

The Cooney Family
( $ 100 )

The Matsumoto Family
( $ 100 )

Tom Elliot and Jinny
( $ 150 )

Cynthia Phoel & Family
( $ 100 )

James Mc Guire & Stephen Coy
( $ 1000 )

The Farokhzad Family
( $ 40 )

The Griswold Family
( $ 40 )

Jeremy Stark and Lucia Colombaro
( $ 50 )

The Tracey Kaiser Family, in honor of Boston Ballet Colleagues
( $ 200 )

Meredith Ross & Family
( $ 280 )

The DiAdamo Family, The Ames Hirschfeld Family, The Tarantino Family, The Winslow Family, The Clarkson Glick Family
( $ 75 )

Nora Coradeschi
( $ 50 )

Ember Waldman and Family
( $ 110 )

The Vachon Family
( $ 150 )

The Connolly Family
( $ 100 )

The Wagner Family
( $ 25 )

Bobby, Carmen, Thomas and Rosemary Cheng
( $ 50 )

Geoffrey Steadman and Dani Maddon
( $ 200 )

Michelle Duckhorn and Family
( $ 35 )

Jim Baxter
( $ 50 )

Janice Tabin & Family
( $ 200 )

The Lydon family
( $ 75 )

The Cheng Family
( $ 100 )

Evelyn Rose Harper and Family
( $ 150 )

Sofia Yee and Waebworth and Family
( $ 25 )

Christopher Woodward
( $ 40 )

Kathryn Lee and Family
( $ 100 )

Thomas Ladue
( $ 30 )

The Steedle Family
( $ 50 )

The Robinson Family
( $ 75 )

GBA District in honor of Joanne Fantini
( $ 150 )

Joanne Fantini & Family
( $ 150 )

In Honor of Julia, Grace and Charlotte Davis on their Baptism
( $ )

In Honor of Zoey Steinberg on her baby naming
( $ )

Mira Krish and Family
( $ 25 )

Dale Becker and Scott
( $ 200 )

Frank Atktinson
( $ 40 )

Debbie Reynolds
( $ 75 )

Alice Poltorick
( $ 25 )

Eilleen Moran
( $ 25 )

Victoria Suchodolski
( $ 25 )

The Roberts Family
( $ 50 )

The Winter Family
( $ 25 )

The Jordans Family
( $ 250 )

Maeve Myles and Family
( $ 50 )

Diana Norian and Family
( $ 20 )

The Gilmartin Family
( $ 50 )

The Lois Lee Family
( $ 100 )

The Wang Family
( $ 200 )

The Sarkissian Family
( $ 100 )

The Zhu and Luo Family
( $ 30 )

Hannah Chun and Family
( $ 50 )

Cate and the Anderson Family
( $ 50 )

Melina and The Bertesekas Family
( $ 700 )

The Eichman Family
( $ 10 )

London and The Isabelle Family
( $ 50 )

From the boys class
( $ 40 )

Rick Lert and Family
( $ 150 )

Abigail Wagners and Family
( $ 40 )

The Cobert Family
( $ 50 )

Dan O Neil
( $ 50 )

LuAnne Fontaine and Family
( $ 51 )

Kayo Araki and Family
( $ 20 )

The Hill family
( $ 50 )

The Burstein Family
( $ 50 )

The Selden Family
( $ 50 )

The Ono Family
( $ 30 )

Natalie and Jessica Levinson and Family
( $ 50 )

Natalia and Isabella Uccelli
( $ 100 )

Molly Zuker & Family
( $ 50 )

Tanya Larkin and Family
( $ 150 )

Sophia Wallach
( $ 50 )

Leila Saponaro & Family
( $ 100 )

The Mahoney Family
( $ 25 )

Miranda & Amy Meuse and Family
( $ 500 )

The Watherhouse Family
( $ 20 )

Lauren Strifling & Family
( $ 20 )

The Falchuk Family
( $ 25 )

Cristina
( $ 20 )

The Larkin Family
( $ 150 )

The Smithie Family
( $ 50 )

Abigail Buffinger and Family
( $ 50 )

The Da Silva Family
( $ 100 )

The Deluard Family
( $ 50 )

The Tucker Family
( $ 100 )

Hannah Tucker
( $ 5 )

Trish Flanagan
( $ 25 )

Sophia Torres and Family
( $ 30 )

Elizabeth Stimpson and Family
( $ 100 )

Kyra Ceryacek and Family
( $ 100 )

Beatrice Biebuyck and Emma
( $ 100 )

Claire Kanz
( $ 25 )

Erica Matsui
( $ 20 )

Miki Newman and Family
( $ 20 )

Carolina Jones and Family
( $ 100 )

The Tarragona Family
( $ 50 )

Valerie Beaver and Family
( $ 50 )

The Shilland Family
( $ 50 )

Gemma Williams and Family
( $ 50 )

Ava Maria Lee
( $ 50 )

Amy Isaac and Family
( $ 25 )

Lidija Covic and Family
( $ 100 )

A project of love, a real target.

One summer day in 2006 I was sitting on a bench on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts. I was chatting with Rames, my partner Tom’s cousin. We were talking about finding a way to be more involved in improving education in the remote areas of Madagascar. Rames is from Madagascar, and he is working there with his wife Winifred for the U.N. He has been working for a long time in Third World development, especially in Africa. He was telling me all his frustrations working for such a big organization. Everything is so bureaucratic. To spend $10 to buy a bench, a board or a bunch of schoolbooks, one needs authorization from Geneva and this can take months. Meanwhile children write in the sand using their fingers or just stop writing and go back to work in the mines. He was telling me that he wanted to find a way to get money directly to small projects where it was needed, when it was needed. Small projects with a big impact in remote areas where a dollar goes a long way. I found myself telling him that I would help him.
The next year, after having completed two Walks for Hunger in Massachusetts and raising more than $3,000 for the homeless here in our country, I decided it was time for me to keep my word. I set a goal: to raise $50,000 in four years, and to name this project in honor of my mother: A Bridge of Roses – Un Ponte di Rose. This project is to aid a series of little schools in Madagascar to build new classrooms (the present facilities are tremendously overcrowded) or to buy desks and benches for the existing classrooms (many kids now sit on the floor). Schools also need new latrines for boys and girls and so much more. We also support the operations of some of the schools.
I deeply believe that education, even if is just a primary one, is the first step in helping to improve and change the condition of the lives of people. It is not my intention to change the world with $50,000. But one child at a time and one school at a time is a great way to begin. Every child has the right to learn. This right, that in our countries is taken for granted, in others countries is still a dream.
Christmas 2007 I spent my vacation traversing part of the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. The money raised so far in Europe and America is now helping improve the lives of children in another part of the world, Madagascar. With the help of the international organization Enfants Du Monde we supplied 250 new desks for two schools, making the daily lessons of children in the region of Mahajanga easier. They no longer sit on the floor. Students at the Centre Sacre-Couer are learning how to make artificial limbs with equipment purchased with our support. This spurred an expansion of the center, adding a classroom and a workshop. We were the primary supporters of this construction.
Starting in 2009 we began to fund a third organization, Centre Fitiavana. They educate children from disadvantaged homes, with a particular focus on including children with mental disabilities. There are no laws and little sense in Madagascar society that people with disabilities should be educated and be part of the community, so their work is particularly needed.

In 2008 I spent the last two weeks of December in Madagascar, meeting with the people running the projects we funded and seeing the progress first hand. This trip gave me a better send of the country and the needs of the organizations. Within a few months of this trip, there was a coup d’etat that has resulted in great hardship for the population. Jobs are even harder to obtain, prices have risen, and many international organizations withdrew staff and suspended or restricted operations. The international community has suspended all but humanitarian assistance. The global financial crisis added to the strains on the local economy and the aid organizations.
During the next two years, I will undertake the following challenges:

In 2009: 10 day walk in Europe From Assisi to Rome over 200km – about one hundred miles
In 2010: a 14 day climb Camp Base on the Mount Everest.

Through these challenges I will raise $25,000 more among my family, friends and basically everyone I know, as well as many kind people who I may never meet but feel deeply, as I do, the importance of this project.

Your help counts!

Luciano Aimar