“Dr. Giovanni Marotta has dedicated his life to helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society, our seniors, who are also treasures of wisdom and memory,” said Corrado Paina, the long-time executive director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO), on the occasion of the organization’s Air Canada Business Excellence Awards. The prestigious awards, presented each year to industry leaders in business, science, academia and culture, attracted more than 500 guests to the Liberty Grand in Toronto on May 23, 2019.
Paina was reflecting upon the impressive work undertaken by Dr. Marotta, clinical director of the CBAO Seniors Day Program. “ICCO’s mandate is more than just about business. Our award winners are successful business people who also display a strong attachment to society and to communities. It is only natural that ICCO recognizes Dr. Marotta. He has demonstrated leadership, knowledge and, above all, a profound commitment to human rights.”
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Marotta credited the generosity of donors who have responded to the suffering felt by families facing wait lists of longer than one year to access programs like the CBAO Seniors Day Program. He also noted that this day program was personal for him in a way that he would not have foreseen when he began practising medicine. His own father, Ottavio, benefitted from the services of the CBAO Seniors Day Program for about a year before passing away in early 2018.
CBAO thanks ICCO’s BEA selection committee for honouring Dr. Marotta and for providing an opportunity to raise awareness about this unique day program and how it makes positive impacts in the quality of life of our seniors.