Vintage vehicles, scenic ride highlight Explorer Post’s Car Show & Bike Run

CAR SHOW: Vintage vehicles like this 1962 Oldsmobile, which is owned by Warwick resident and businessman Richard Sacchetti, were on display last Sunday during the Johnston Police Explorer Post 405 fourth annual Car Show & Bike Run inside Johnston War Memorial Park.

Sun Rise photosby Pete Fontaine

HELPING HANDS: Among those Johnston Police Explorers and their parents who worked at last Sunday’s fourth annual Car Show were, from left, Nick Lapeer, Brendan Bouquet, Ashley Bouquet, John Bouquet, Andrew Tinkerbelle, Brian Beauregard, Ray Rocha, Mason LaRiviere and Aaron Blanco.

Sun Rise photo by Pete Fontaine

PRIZE PATROLS: These people are members of an elite group – private owners of one-time state police vehicles that were actually used in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. They perform a special duty of leading benefit motorcycle runs to protect bikes from traffic. The group, seen standing next to a 1979 Rhode Island cruiser, includes, from left, Phil Masso, Tracy Claus, David Taylor, Janice Taylor, Steve Taylor and Tom Maciejewski.

Sun Rise photo by Pete Fontaine

SUPER SUPPORTERS: Members of the Emo Sabitoni-led Rhode Warriors, a fun-loving group of motorcyclists who help charities, join members of the Johnston Police Explorer Post 405 prior to last Sunday’s Bike Run.

Sun Rise photo by Pete Fontaine

Posted Thursday, August 21, 2014 11:55 am

Pete Fontaine

Super support.

That’s what the Johnston Police Explorer Post 405 received Sunday during the award-winning youth group’s fourth annual Car Show & Bike Run.

Although the number of vintage vehicles wasn’t as large as organizers had hoped, there were awards aplenty, fine food cooked by the Friends of the Explorers and lots of support that came in many forms.

Take Warwick resident and businessman Richard Sacchetti, for example. He came to Sunday’s show with his spiffy 1962 Oldsmobile and paid an entry fee, but did not participate in the actual competition.

“He’s just a great, great guy and supports our show every year,” George Arakelian, volunteer vice president for the Friends of the Explorers, said. “And he gave us these beautiful bags.”

Sacchetti gave Post 405 enough bags for each and every participant, and many Motor Trend magazines that Arakelian had set up on the check-in and registration table Sunday.

Further support came from Gary Maddocks, former deputy chief of the Johnston Police Department who is now chief of security at the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Center located inside the Johnston Industrial Complex.

Maddocks, who lives in Scituate, entered his 1969 yellow Chevrolet Camaro Super Sport and came away with not one but two trophies. He took home the Chief of Police Award as well as the Explorers’ Choice Award.

The Mayor’s Choice Award went to a 1997 red Dodge Viper.

Even more support came from area businesses like My Cousin Vinny’s Rentals, Oakees Old Time Games, Popcorn and Cotton Candy, Car Envy Waterless Car Wax, Renee LaPorte-Fruit Arrangements and the Melissa Delmonico Foundation.

Finally, Elmo “Emilio” Sabitoni, an ageless member of the police department and avid motorcyclist, again brought many of his Rhode Warriors motorcycle friends to Sunday’s show and bike run, which generated further revenue for the Explorer Post.

Led by Sabitoni and Tony “Chief Two Feathers” Rossi, the Rhode Warriors took off from Johnston War Memorial Park at about 11:30 Sunday morning for a ride through the back roads of Connecticut and back to town in time for the mid-afternoon awards presentation.

“We had some competition from several other [car] shows today,” Sabitoni, who is also known as the Rhode Captain of the Rhode Warriors, said. “But next year will be different, and hopefully the number of bikes and cars will be bigger than ever.”