In observance of the centennial of one of the most tragic mining disasters in U.S. history, from November 13 to 15, the communities of Cherry (Illinois) and Fanano (Emilia Romagna) memorialized the catastrophic event that contributed to a permanent change in worker protection laws in the USA.

The mining disaster in the Illinois town of Cherry occurred on November 13, 1909. It took the lives of 259 workers, 73 of them Italian, of whom 44 were originally from the Appenine regions of Modena and Bologna.  One of the Italian survivors, Antenore Quartaroli, has movingly described the tragic occurrence in a short story entitled The Great Mining Disaster of Cherry.

In attendance at the ceremonies were top government and administration officials of the State of Illinois, the leadership of the United Mine Workers, as well as representatives from the law enforcement and firefighter communities.
Italy was represented by the Consul General of Italy in Chicago, Alessandro Motta, as well as by a delegation from the Region of Emilia Romagna headed by the Vice President of the Advisory Council for Emigration Rita Tagliati.