A Bridge Between Business and Community: Strengthening Local Ties and Continuing a People-Centered Entrepreneurial Vision
SPORT, INCLUSION, AND FAMILY SUPPORT: THE BERNARDINO CECCARELLI FOUNDATION IS BORN
Following the passing of the founder of the Ceccarelli Group and the Polisportiva Libertas Martignacco, the Foundation bearing his name has been established. Sport and scholarships, vocational inclusion for people with disabilities, and concrete support for parenthood are the three pillars of a project that transforms the human and entrepreneurial legacy of Cavalier Bernardino Ceccarelli into impactful actions for the territory.
The mission is to translate into concrete commitment the values that guided the personal and professional life of a man who, with clarity, foresight, and a deep sensitivity for innovation, represented a point of reference not only for the Friulian economy but also in the sporting and social spheres. Six years after his passing, his family and the Ceccarelli Group—a leading logistics and transport company headquartered in Udine—have established the Foundation dedicated to his memory.
The Bernardino Ceccarelli Foundation, established in Udine by Notary Antonella Clocchiatti with the support of Studio Associato Romanelli & Partners, is already accredited to the National Single Register of the Third Sector (RUNTS). It will operate as a non-profit organization with civic, solidary, and social utility purposes.
Mariarosa Zermano, Vice President of the Group (now led by their son Luca Ceccarelli), wife of the founder and President of the newly formed Foundation, explains its genesis: “Ever since Bernardino passed away, we felt the need to find a way to keep his memory alive. In the Foundation, we found the legal—but above all, the passionate—instrument to carry forward his teachings and his work.”
Three Macro-Areas of Intervention
The Foundation focuses on three macro-areas that reflect the guiding principles of Bernardino Ceccarelli’s life:
Sport and Education: Sport is viewed not only as a competitive activity but as a tool for well-being, education, and growth through scientific research and healthy lifestyles. The Foundation will promote access to sports for people with disabilities and support the balance between academics and athletics through scholarships for deserving athletes.
Inclusion and Fragility: This area aims to facilitate access to sport and promote vocational inclusion. Among the first concrete projects is the purchase of a shuttle bus to transport people to work, enabling them to work in person—at least a few days a week—to foster socialization, autonomy, and full integration within corporate environments. This initiative will initially involve Group employees, with plans to progressively expand to other companies and individuals
Support for Families and Birth Rates: A theme particularly dear to the founder. “Whenever an employee shared they were expecting,” Zermano recalls, “Bernardino was overjoyed. He always said: ‘As long as children are being born, there is hope.’” The Foundation intends to provide concrete support, such as contributions for nursery school fees, summer camps, and schools, while evaluating more structured tools for the future.
“These three facets,” concludes Zermano, “deeply characterized his life and now find a stable and organized form in the Foundation’s statutory mission. We want his example to continue generating opportunities, inclusion, and confidence in the future.”
Through social, educational, sporting, and cultural interventions, the Bernardino Ceccarelli Foundation acts as a bridge between business and community, between memory and planning. It strengthens the bond with the territory and provides continuity to an entrepreneurial vision that has always placed people at the center—a tangible way to transform a legacy of values into actions capable of positively impacting the lives of new generations and families, in the name of development that combines economic growth with social responsibility.
