Vito's Bucket List Trip - One Last Wish

Hello, my name is Kayla. Some of you may know my dad, Vito, personally. Others may know him professionally, or simply as the guy who's always first in line to help someone else. Over the years, he's touched countless lives—whether it's through his work, his friendships, his service in the U.S. Army or his unwavering dedication to causes like the annual Ride For Dragonfly, which he organizes to support children battling terminal cancer as well as their families.

About a year ago, the tables turned. My dad received a devastating diagnosis of his own—only a few short months after his original diagnosis, his cancer had aggressively progressed to stage 4. After fighting all this time with strength and grace, we've recently been told he now has an expected 3 to 6 months left. It's a reality none of us were ready for.

During one of our conversations, he told me he'd always dreamed of taking us (myself and him) to Italy—especially to see the Amalfi Coast and visit our family's hometown in Calabria. But when that dream seemed financially out of reach, he shifted his focus to exploring a few places here in the U.S. that were on his bucket list instead.

Now, I want to make his original dream a reality. My goal is to give my dad the ultimate bucket list trip—a chance to walk the streets his ancestors did, to take in the beauty of the coast he's always talked about, and to share those moments together, just the two of us. In order to do this we will need to raise the funds by June 30, 2025.

Unfortunately this year is the Italian Jubilee, making everything more expensive than it would otherwise be, but I’m confident in our ability to make this happen.

I've seen how much love and support has surrounded him this past year, and I'm hoping that same incredible community can help us make this one last dream come true. If you're able to give—whether it's a little or a lot—please know it means the world to us. Thank you for helping me give back to a man who has spent his whole life giving to others.

Also, as my dad's health continues to quickly decline, I want to share that while my ultimate goal is to take him on his dream trip to Italy, I recognize that may not be possible come the time we raise the necessary funds. If his health ends up preventing us from traveling abroad, the funds will be used, instead, for smaller, more local trips he's still hoping to make—so he has the ability to enjoy meaningful time and experiences without the added stress of financial strain during this already difficult time.

If you would like to donate but don’t feel comfortable with gofundme, you can contact me directly to donate to Zelle or via Venmo @kaylacarchedi

update: the doctors have said Italy is now not possible with his worsening condition. Therefore we will be using these funds for travel, lodging, food & activities - I’ve gotten my dad a portable blender to help him digest more on the road - on his US bucket list trips to places such as Gatlinberg TN, Niagara Falls in Canada, etc.