Meeting Street gets souped up donation from Cruisin' for a Cause

GREAT GROUPS: The Screamin’ Eagles and Goodfellas motorcycle groups, who helped make the JSM’s donation to Meeting Street School special, were on hand for last’s week’s Cruisin’ for a Cause check presentation.

OUTSTANDING OFFICIALS: JSM volunteers Peter Lombardi, Tina Brodeur, Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian and Gary Maddocks are joined by Lori Sousa of Meeting Street School for last week’s presentation of a $1,500 check.

VINTAGE VEHICLE: Norm Bernier’s 1969 AMC-AMX 300 – which the American Motors Corporation began making in 1968 and discontinued in 1970 – was among the many eye-popping old time cars at last week’s Cruisin’ for a Cause.

CLASSIC CONVERTIBLE: This is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair – that’s non longer manufactured – owned by Marguerite Longpre of Lincoln that received rave review at last week’s Cruisin’ for a Cause. (Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine)

Posted Thursday, July 12, 2018 12:54 pm

By Pete Fontaine

It may have taken eight weeks plus for the Johnston Street Machines to get through its first month of the 2018 season, however, the benefitting charity didn’t take a hit as may have been expected.

The JSM’s first seasonal Trophy Night, held last Thursday evening inside the Denny’s Restaurant parking lot off Hartford Avenue, was filled with joy, love and the extraordinary.

“We’re giving a check for $1,500 to Meeting Street School,” said Gary Maddocks, the JSM’s president and co-founder of Cruisin’ for a Cause. “We’re all thrilled with the amount; our donation – which was made possible by a lot of people and two special groups – will touch the lives of children from infancy to young adulthood at their state of the art school.”

Maddocks, a one-time Johnston Police deputy chief who heads the total security operation at the RI Resource Recovery Center, went on, “Your donations help fund all children to receive the individualized attention to meet their specific needs at Meeting Street School.”

The JSM’s “tremendous donation” as Meeting Street’s representative Lori Sousa called the $1,500 contrition, was made in memory of the late Rosey Sabitoni who until her tragic passing was a beloved teacher at the award-winning Providence-based school.

Rosey Sabitoni-Randall and her husband Brad went out for a leisurely motorcycle ride some six years ago and never came home, as they were killed by a motorist that reportedly cross over the double yellow line on a Connecticut road and were later pronounced dead.

Ever since then Rosey’s relatives, namely long-serving JPD sergeant Emo Sabitoni and his daughter Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian, have raised thousands upon thousands of dollars for Meeting Street School that they present annually at the WPRI-TV telethon.

Last Thursday evening, Emo Sabitoni and his Screamin’ Eagles Motorcycle Group as well as the Goodfellas non-profit that rides for the social and fun values, were on hand to help resent the check to Sousa.

Likewise, his daughter Gina, who like her rather will never forget Rosey and Brad Randall and their horrific fatal accident, talked about the highly-important charity and actually wrote the JSM check, as she serves as the non-profit’s treasurer.

“It’s always special when we make a donation to Meeting Street School in memory of Rosey,” Emo and Gina wanted it known. “She was loved by so many people, especially the students she helped at the school. This donation from the JSM is made with lots of love.”

Needless to say, there were many teary eyes at last week’s Cruisin’ for a Cause, which will continue tonight, weather permitting, from 5 to 8 o’clock in the Johnston Towne Center off Route 6. The suggested donation is only $5 per car and there’s always a 50/50 raffle that sometimes has a huge pot.

There was also another side to last Thursday’s donation, as Sousa and members of the JSM had the honor of judging classic cars whose owners went home with a total of 10 trophies in the vintage vehicle division and four in the motorcycle category. All the JSM awards are donated by Steve Nelson of Johnston-based Nelson Oil Company.

Cutlines for pix on sheets slugged 07-09-18 750

JSM 1 IMG 5541

CLASSIC CONVERTIBLE:

This is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair – that’s non longer manufactured – owned by Marguerite Longpre of Lincoln that received rave review at last week’s Cruisin’ for a Cause. (Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine) JSM 2 IMG 5543

VINTAGE VEHICLE:

Norm Bernier’s 1969 AMC-AMX 300 – which the American Motors Corporation began making in 1968 and discontinued in 1970 – was among the many eye-popping old time cars at last week’s Cruisin’ for a Cause. JSM 3 IMG 5544

GREAT GROUPS:

The Screamin’ Eagles and Goodfellas motorcycle groups, who helped make the JSM’s donation to Meeting Street School special, were on hand for last’s Cruisin for a Cause check presentation. JSM 4 MG 5551

OUTSTANDING OFFICIALS:

JSM volunteers Peter Lombardi, Tina Brodeur, Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian and Gary Maddocks are joined by Lori Sousa of Meeting Street School for last week’s presentation of a $1,500 check.