The 35th-annual Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival officially kicked off on Wednesday at the McLure Hotel in Wheeling as nearly 200 festival supporters gathered for a dinner to honor the 2017 Italian-American of the Year, former Ohio Sen. Lou Gentile.

Gentile was introduced by former U.S. Rep. Zack Space, who is currently running as a Democrat for Ohio auditor. He spoke about his own heritage as a Greek-American, and drew parallels to the Italian-American experience.

Born to first generation Italian-American parents Lou Sr. and Carmella, Gentile, 38, has dedicated his adult life to public service. He began his career in governmental service and politics campaigning for former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. He then served in the Governor’s Office of Appalachia and as a representative in the Ohio House before moving on to serve in the Ohio Senate. He ran for re-election in 2016 and was defeated by Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction, in the November general election.

“I saw firsthand Lou’s devotion to the coal industry while he was in the state Senate. Nobody worked harder for coal than Lou Gentile,” Space said. “I couldn’t help but notice that is the industry that many of our ancestors went into when they came over here.”

Space went on to praise Gentile as someone who fought for those from southeastern Ohio who did not have a voice in Columbus. He said he was proud to be part of his campaign, and touted Gentile’s love of family and loyalty to friends, honesty and trustworthiness — as well as his ability to make great pasta.

Gentile then took the podium, expressing gratitude for the being honored, and giving his family and heritage most of the credit for his success. He spoke about the importance of his Italian ancestry, the need to carry on the values of those who came before him and the need to take care of the community at large.

“Our ancestors would really be proud that what we are doing here this evening and throughout this weekend is about investing in our youth. It’s about creating opportunities for our young people to get scholarships to go on to higher education, or to learn the culture,” Gentile said.

The Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival opening ceremonies are set for noon Friday, and the festival continues Saturday and Sunday at Heritage Port in Wheeling.