By Gage Vota
For The Intelligencer
Bellaire — Members of the Sons and Daughters of Italy were busy in the kitchen preparing nearly 3,000 pounds of sausage for the annual Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival.
The sausage will be turned into about 6,500 sausage sandwiches to be sold during the festival, which begins Friday and concludes Sunday at Heritage Port in downtown Wheeling.
The organization developed its own secret recipe for the sausage years ago and has continued making the sandwiches each year for the festival.
President David Badia said selling the sandwiches is the organization’s largest single-event fundraiser.
“This is one of our biggest fundraisers and we hope it continues to be,” Badia said. “We hope it continues, and obviously it’s been here for 40 some years, and I don’t see it going away, I mean, let’s hope not.”
The Sons and Daughters of Italy has sold sausage sandwiches since the first Italian Heritage Festival in 1987, and Badia said the group has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
“When we started with it, I think we were selling a sandwich for like $1.50. This year, we’re selling a sausage for $9. So, for a $10 bill, you can get a sandwich and a bottle of water,” Badia said.
Badia said he believes the organization has become one of the pillars of the festival.
“I’d like to think we’re a pillar over there. At least we’re always going to be a vendor over there,” Badia said. “The important thing about our success here is everybody working today is all volunteers. Nobody’s getting paid, and that’s one reason why we do well financially because we’re not paying for labor. We have 450 Italian members, and even at our pasta dinners on Thursday night, that’s all volunteer work, and they’re very professional at it.”
The Sons and Daughters of Italy is a volunteer organization, and everyone involved in preparing for the festival donates their time to support the group.
Badia said the organization also tries to make the experience enjoyable for its volunteers.
“We make it fun and after whatever function’s over, just like all Italians, we’re going to eat,” Badia said.
The organization recently changed its name from the Sons of Italy to the Sons and Daughters of Italy. Badia said the change was made to recognize the contributions of all members.
“The women have always been core members, equal participants, and just right alongside the men. They’ve never been on the sidelines, and it’s always been like that,” Badia said. “Now they’re getting the respect that they deserve. I mean, they’ve always supported our culture, our heritage, and have helped us achieve our goals.”
Badia said joining the organization is a simple process. Interested individuals can visit the group’s location at 3348 Belmont St. and fill out an application.
Prospective members must have a sponsor who can vouch for them, Badia said.
“We have 450 Italian members, maybe even a little more than that, so you just need to know one or get one to sponsor you. And if you don’t, some people come from out of town. They don’t know anybody just might stop in. We’ll talk to them and if they seem like they’re a good person, we’ll accept them,” Badia said. “Then they just have to pay their annual $40 dues.”
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