Giving Back
During Bianca’s reign as Miss Connecticut in 1990, statewide charities raised over $1 million dollars of fundraising revenue as she made tireless appearances to boost publicity and awareness for the charitable organizations and foundations. A Senate Joint Resolution proclaimed Bianca the State of Connecticut’s Official Hostess, a newly created post starting with Bianca. All future state contenders for the Miss America title would now serve in this capacity “to complement and assist the First Lady of the State in the discharge of her ceremonial duties.”
She has always taken her volunteerism and community service to heart and worked incredibly long hours and traveled thousands of miles throughout Connecticut and other states as the proud representative of her native state. The Connecticut State Senate recognized Bianca for “her outstanding academic accomplishments, her impressive career achievements, and her extensive involvement in community activities.”
With all of her accomplishments, it is her Quality of Life Award for her commitment to volunteerism of which Bianca is most proud having spearheaded many efforts to raise awareness or funds for charities not only in Connecticut but also worldwide.
In July 2008, she was on the Honorary Committee for world-renowned photographer Nigel Barker’s New York City exhibit and documentary ‘A Sealed Fate,’ an effort she and her husband have been extensively involved with for the last 5 years along side the Vice President of the Humane Society of the United States to help stop the brutal slaughter of baby harp seals in Canada.
Bianca and her husband are gearing up for their 6th year battling to help end the baby seal slaughter in Canada set to begin late March. She hopes this will be the last year of vicious clubbing deaths of innocent harp seals, the planet’s largest marine mammal slaughter.
In addition, Bianca has served hot meals to needy people in homeless shelters across Texas, Illinois and Connecticut, and has worked with the elderly for 12 years earning the State Platform Award for Community Service for her dedication to the elderly.
She was particularly honored when Health Care Associates, Inc. Executive Vice President, William F. Baxter, wrote this in a letter to her, “Thank you…for the opportunity to discuss some long-term care issues with you. I, as were others who joined us, was impressed with your enthusiasm, genuine concern for our residents and depth of knowledge about our industry.”
In 2003, Bianca spearheaded efforts to raise donations for the Marine Corp Scholarship Fund. All monies raised went directly to the families of Marines who were wounded or lost their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This event gained national exposure by airing on The Fox News Channel.
Her media contacts helped significantly as she organized a fundraiser for Easter Seals of Connecticut in 2002, raising money to help children and adults with disabilities and special needs. This event captured the eye of tens of thousands worldwide as coverage crossed all lines of media.
Over the past 28 years, Bianca has supported HRH Prince Abdul Ali Seraj’s efforts to aid the plight of the Afghani people. So much so, she coordinated a clothing drive in 1979, and later organized an extremely successful and popular lecture given by the Prince at Fairfield University in the mid ‘80s when she was a student, and interviewed the Prince on television in the ‘90s.
Bianca has always taken action. She volunteered as a probation counselor for troubled juveniles from 1985 – 1988 and helped fund a foster parent program for two years. In addition, she belongs to the World Wildlife Fund, the National Wildlife Federation and numerous animal defense leagues.
In 2009, Bianca produced, filmed, photographed and edited a tribute DVD to the Evensong program at Stanwich Church (est. 1731) in Greenwich, Connecticut. All proceeds from the video will be donated directly to the “church planters” – the mission’s efforts to open a new church from the ground up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, based on Evensong – the use of modern music combined with ancient traditions practiced in church throughout history.
As an active school mom, she is heading up the annual Food Drive and Clothing Drive to benefit 6 towns in her area this 2009 holiday season. In addition, she encourages her children to select and donate toys for the annual Toys for Tots program, which she was involved with years earlier as a radio personality. “Those values and ideals never go away,” she says, “and they have to be passed on to the next generation.”
