Gucci President Marco Bizzarri Makes Personal Donation to Emilia Romagna Families

Luisa Zargani
·3 min read
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MILAN — Marco Bizzarri, president and chief executive officer of Gucci, is making a personal donation of 80,000 euros to benefit the population in Emilia-Romagna hit by devastating floods in May.

In particular, the funds will be channeled into supporting families in Cervia, less than 20 miles from Rimini, and for the purchase of a dewatering pump to defend the territory of Villa Inferno, Sant’Andrea and Montaletto, in the area of Cervia in Emilia-Romagna.

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“My life has always been between Emilia and Romagna. Most of my friends are from Romagna,” Bizzarri said. “And despite their strength and energy and the extraordinary images of people that have rolled up their sleeves with vigor and optimism, the situation remains dramatic for certain families. Today we must continue to draw attention to this situation, and make sure it is not forgotten, and not believe that the strength of the Romagnoli is enough to solve this disaster. My donation is a drop in the…Adriatic Sea. My goal is however to send a message, just as others are doing so in different ways, and help those that are less lucky than me in this situation that is still extremely difficult, continuing to give visibility and to talk about it to raise awareness of the urgency to take action. I am firmly convinced that a difference can be made only through the combined intervention of individuals, companies and institutions.”

Bizzarri was born and raised in Emilia-Romagna between Rubiera and Gabicce, where he still lives with his family.

The executive teamed with his longtime friend Paolo Bravura and the volunteers of Rumours for Children in Cervia, among whom Massimo Benini, Guido Allegri and Marcello Evangelista, who actively identified the recipients of the donations.

He has chosen to devolve the funds in favor of families that are in great difficulty, mainly with children, as an incentive to restart.

LVMH, Gucci parent Kering, OVS and Aeffe, which is based in Emilia Romagna, are among the groups that have been making donations to help the region. Aeffe has made donations benefiting associations active in the area and last week, Alberta Ferretti, under the group’s umbrella, said the company was partnering with Sotheby’s to support the reconstruction in the region.

A selection of the designer’s dresses, worn by a number of A-list celebrities on the red carpet, were offered in an online Sotheby’s auction until July 13 and proceeds will be donated to help the families and businesses impacted by the natural disaster.

Luxury conglomerate Kering has made an undisclosed donation on behalf of its maisons, while automotive giant Ferrari has donated 1 million euros to the regional civil protection agency. An undisclosed donation also came from the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton group.

The Italian government has earmarked 30 million euros in response to the disaster, which took place 11 years after the region was struck by back-to-back earthquakes in 2012.

The exceptional rainfall in May is believed to have equaled half the annual average. The widespread flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region caused at least 15 deaths and left thousands of people homeless.

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