24th Night of Hope raises record for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Posted

“I’ll save you thousands,” Michael Grieco says on Metro Motor Group’s now familiar television commercial. “I guarantee it!”

Meanwhile, his mother Cathy Grieco has her own special and celebrated slogan: “I’ll raise thousands and help to save lives.”

She doesn’t add in her son’s guarantee, but she doesn’t have to. Her wonderful works speak volumes, and in record numbers, too.

Cathy is president of the Rhode Island chapter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and her extraordinary efforts resulted in $185,000 raised after the Grieco family hosted the 24th annual Night of Hope inside their state-of-the-art Honda dealership on Hartford Avenue in Johnston.

“That’s $45,000 more than last year, and we still have money coming in,” Cathy said. “Our goal was to raise $150,000 … I’m so excited. This is the most money we’ve ever raised.”

Prior to the annual gala – which featured a sellout crowd celebrating the Rhode Island chapter’s ongoing fundraising efforts for St. Jude in the form of 18 different food vendors, a beer and wine bar and roving musician – Cathy was worried that this year’s fundraiser wouldn’t be as successful as year’s past.

“We thought we were $20,000 behind,” she said. “This charity is so dear to my heart. When if comes to saving a child’s life, people really come through.”

So much so, in fact, the Night of Hope may have just been the Rhode Island chapter’s best ever.

The Night of Hope program book, for example, was more than a quarter-inch thick, which different color-printed pages depending on the level of giving. There were 13 live auction items, which included dinner with New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski and a one-week stay Halloween Stay in Orlando, Fla.

Equally impressive was the silent auction, which featured 33 high quality prizes, and an additional art auction that offered bidding for 32 prizes.

To make the night even more memorable, Cathy’s husband Michael – and the entire Metro Motor Group family – donated a 2016 Fiat that raised the tidy sum of $30,000 after a number of people volunteered and sold 300 raffle tickets for the vehicle at $100 each.

“Mr. and Mrs. Grieco are two of the greatest and caring people you’d ever want to meet,” Jeff Chase, a longtime, highly-successful executive in the Rhode Island automobile industry, said while exchanging pleasantries with colleagues. “What’s incredible is that they’ve been doing this for almost 24 years.”

Why, though, does Cathy Grieco donate countless hours to put on such a gala fundraiser while also serving as president of the Rhode Island chapter?

“I had two nieces that passed away at a very young age,” she explained. “They were ill, and that hurt our entire family. And that was mainly my motivation to help save children’s lives.”

Cathy, her many friends will attest, has been on a heart-felt crusade every since.

“Once I got involved, my boys got involved ... and my husband became involved,” she said. “It’s kind of ironic. When my boys were younger they used to have little fundraisers, and now that people see the success, that enables us to get more donations.”

Chase, Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena and North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi all praised the Griecos for the business and charitable efforts.

Two years ago, Richard C. Shadyac, who serves as national executive director for the ALSAC-St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, came to the gala to personally thank the Griecos for their tireless and fruitful work.

“We were thrilled to have Richard come here,” Cathy said.

The Night of Hope is approaching its Silver Anniversary, and next year’s gala will be held at Alpine Country Club in Cranston.

But no matter who comes to the gala, where it’s held or what prizes are offered, there’s one constant guarantee.

And that is that Cathy Grieco will continue to raise thousands of dollars because she’s deeply saddened when a child is stricken with cancer – that dreaded fatal disease that took her two nieces some years ago.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here