John and Margo Catsimatidis named Honorees of 2025 Columbus Celebration Weekend

Business Leaders and Philanthropists John and Margo Catsimatidis to join Grand Marshal Joe Moglia leading this year's Columbus Day Parade up 5^th Avenue on October 13

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbus Citizens Foundation is proud to announce that John and Margo Catsimatidis are Honorees of this year's Columbus Celebration and will join Grand Marshal Joe Moglia to help lead this year's Parade.

John Catsimatidis was six months old when his parents emigrated from Greece to New York City in search of a better life. After graduating Brooklyn Tech, John enrolled in New York University to study electrical engineering; going to school during the day and working in a small grocery store on nights and weekends to help his parents pay the bills.  With just 8 credits remaining, John left NYU to work in the grocery business full-time. By his 25th birthday he was already a success with 10 Red Apple supermarkets, and now owns and operates Gristedes and D'Agostino supermarkets. Four decades later, along with his wife Margo, this dynamic couple has guided the growth of Red Apple Group, which has evolved into a diversified corporation that has holdings in the energy, aviation, retail, real estate, baseball, entertainment and media sectors, employing close to 10,000 Americans.

Margo Catsimatidis was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, where at age 12, she became the youngest person ever invited to dance with the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet. Margo saved up $100, and at the age of 16 set out to achieve her lifelong dream to move to New York. In 1973, due a dance related injury, Margo began working as the assistant to the owner of a company named Red Apple Supermarkets. This job would subsequently guide her career and life, eventually marrying owner John Catsimatidis.

In 1984 Margo founded MCV Advertising. In addition to her professional advertising career, Margo heads a wide variety of civic and charitable concerns, paying tribute to her own heritage, having served as Chairwoman of the annual Russian Heritage Foundation dinner in St. Petersburg, Florida and Board member of the Tolstoy Foundation. Margo's work in heritage preservation brought her national recognition, and in 2000 she was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

John and Margo are firm believers in giving back to the community. Margo served on the Executive Committee of New York Hospital, and the Women's Annual Luncheon for the Police Athletic League (PAL), along with her husband they are Chairpersons for the PAL Annual Holiday Party for over 1000 needy New York City children. They are strong supporters of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, The Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund, and the Greek Orthodox Church.  Margo serves on the Board and steering committee of the Alzheimer's Association, and is on the Board of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and National Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

"We are honored to recognize John and Margo not only for their impressive individual achievements, but also for their dedication to improving the lives of others through their myriad philanthropic endeavors," stated Columbus Citizens Foundation President Christopher Loiacono. "The Columbus Citizens Foundation also appreciates John and Margo's ongoing commitment to the parade, with WABC radio broadcasting live from Fifth Avenue each year. We thank them for their continued support."

"Margo and I are deeply honored to be recognized by the Columbus Foundation, which celebrates the incredible contributions of the Italian-American community. With my DNA showing 28% Italian, I like to think my relatives are smiling down on me tonight as we honor and preserve our shared heritage and culture for future generations."

The annual Columbus Day Parade, the largest celebration of Italian American heritage and culture in the United States will take place on Monday, October 13, 2025, beginning at 11:30 a.m. and will include marching bands, floats, and over 100 marching groups up the Fifth Avenue parade route, from 44^th Street to 72^nd Street. Groups, institutions, and partners from across the United States and Italy will take part in this year's celebration. The parade will be broadcast on ABC-7 from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

ABOUT COLUMBUS CITIZENS FOUNDATION:
Columbus Citizens Foundation is a New York City non-profit organization committed to fostering an appreciation of Italian American heritage and achievement. The Foundation, through a broad range of philanthropic and cultural activities, provides opportunities for advancement to deserving Italian-American students through various scholarship and grant programs. The Foundation organizes New York City's annual Columbus Celebration and Columbus Day Parade, which has celebrated Italian-American Heritage on New York's Fifth Avenue since 1929.

SOURCE Columbus Citizens Foundation