Santa’s workshop comes to town with Explorers’ Gift Wrapping Party

Posted

A great act of community caring took place last Thursday evening inside the Johnston Senior Center’s multi-purpose room.

Nearly 100 people – including uniformed Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, casual-clad teenagers and members of the Johnston Police Department’s Explorers Post 405, as well as countless adults – transformed the spacious room into Santa’s Workshop.

In the middle of it all was Capt. Thomas H. Dolan, commander of the Johnston Police Department’s Traffic and Special Services Bureau, who stood silently – and smiling – as he looked at huge cardboard boxes and table tops that were filled with dozens upon dozens of wrapped presents for girls and boys of all ages.

“There are lots of caring people around this town,” Dolan said. “And without their generosity, some children might not have had a Christmas or a present to open. Even in these difficult economic times, people refused to let needy children go without a gift.”

For inside of 2-1/2 hours, those 100 “Johnston strong” volunteers – as someone nicknamed the group – had four production locations during the Explorers Post 405 annual Christmas Gift Wrapping Party, which included a special and generous gift courtesy of Peter Franco, who owns and operates Nina’s Pizza and again donated pizza for last Thursday night’s event.

People at the wrapping party also enjoyed a number of sweet items and pizza courtesy of This Guy’s Pizza.

“We finished in record time,” Dolan told Lt. Stephen Guilmette, who assists with the award-winning Explorers program. “This is wonderful. It makes all the effort worth every minute.”

Dolan, who thanked each and every volunteer gift wrapper, then pointed out how this year’s Post 405 “Toys for Kids” drive was a great example of the community coming together to help children from needy families celebrate Christmas, especially “since these aren’t the best of economic times.”

There was a time, in fact, that Dolan and the Friends of Explorers Post 405 didn’t know if this year’s “Toys for Kids” drive would do as well as in years past.

“Some people don’t realize it,” Dolan said, “but money is tight. And usually the first thing people do is cut back on giving.”

Enter Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian, recently crowned Mrs. Rhode Island Italia, who doubles as treasurer for the Friends group and is a parent of Explorer George Arakelian III.

She first contacted Johnston Schools Superintendent Dr. Bernard DiLullo asking if a toy collection box could be placed in all of the town’s schools.

“The idea to involve the school community in a cause which gives back to the children and families in need in Johnston,” Sabitoni-Arakelian said. “Once we received approval, I wrapped a dozen boxes that were placed in the schools and at A Custom Car Stereo on Atwood Avenue.”

Sabitoni-Arakelian also had 3,000 flyers printed to advertise the “Toys for Kids” drive so that each student was aware of this year’s program.

Two weeks prior to the wrapping party, Sabitoni-Arakelian gave up her lunch hour and joined Guilmette, who drove her to schools where they set up the toy drop boxes. Last Thursday, Dolan and Guilmette picked up each and every box and brought it to the Johnston Senior Center for the gift-wrapping party.

Thus, Sabitoni-Arakelian, who has long been involved in various charitable giving events, said “we’re hoping to make it bigger and better next year. We’ve got a plan that could possibly break all records.”

She also noted, based on her experiences with the Explorers Post: “This year was another successful campaign. I’d like to thank all the Explorers, Boys Scouts, Cub Scouts and volunteer who came together to make a children’s Christmas merry.”

Comments

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