“This was our best year ever with ticket sales,” Millie Santilli, the assistant director at the Johnston Senior Center, assessed late Saturday afternoon following the annual Meat Raffle. “This is definitely one of our most popular events.”
After center Executive Director Anthony “Tony” Zompa cranked the barrel that contained countless tickets, he pulled the winner for the first of what was a record 69 giveaways Sunday.
“People who purchased tickets didn’t have to be here,” Santillo told a large gathering of ticket buyers who showed up Sunday. “And if a person won, their ticket went right back into the drawing barrel.”
Included in the 69 giveaways were 20 turkeys, 25 meat packages, 20 one-pound packages of sausage, two candles with an attached gift certificate, a specially made gift basket, and colorful handmade quilt.
Santilli and Zompa thanked “all the meat donors who helped make the Meat Raffle another overwhelming success.” Those people and their companies were Jerry Balzano of Fed-Rick Veal Company on Providence’s Federal Hill, Dave’s Marketplace of Smithfield, and turkey donations by Shannon Russell.
As the drawings took place – and with a story and some fun included in every winning ticket announcement – Santilli also took time to thank Cindy Galipeau, her long-time friend and one of several Johnstonians who founded the Meat Raffle several years ago.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Cindy and Ton Galipeau,” Santilli told an attentive audience that later applauded the Johnston couple. “Ron makes these candles from wine and beer bottles, but this year he and Cindy included a gift certificate with each ticket. Their generosity is endless.”
Likewise, Loraine DeLorenzo who serves as marketing director at the Cherry Hill Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, received special praise for donating what Santilli called “this absolutely beautiful gift basket.”
Santilli also thanked the center’s Advisory Board – chair Rhonda Sasa, Peter Lombardi Jr., Stephanie Gesualdi, Mary Cerra, Joseph Quartino and Peter Susi – for their special support, and “members of our great Johnston community who helped make today a huge success.”
There was another group of younger folks – the Johnston Police Department’s award-winning Explorer Post 405 – who added what Zompa later called a “special touch of class to today’s Meat Raffle.”
Not only did seven Explorers, Police Capt. Thomas H. Dolan, Lt. Steve Guilmette and advisor Terry Best set up and break down the center’s multi-purpose room, they took on special duties like serving the snack bowls, coffee, lemonade and pastry to attendees so they wouldn’t have to leave their seats during the 69 drawings.
“And these kids do so without a lot of noise or fanfare,” Zompa said. “The Explorers are without question a valuable part of the Johnston community.”
Those Explorers were Diana Jordan, Zach Morin, Sgt. Heather Best, Lt. Katherine Rocha, Joshua Savard, Jack Frenier and Evan LaPlante.
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