It would be a difficult task to find another group of motorcyclists with the same passion, dedication and generosity for raising money to fight childhood cancer as Johnston’s Goodfellas Motorcycle Club.
At their 8th annual Motorcycle Run this fall, Goodfellas Motorcycle Club hopes to raise $50,000 for Hasbro Children’s Hospital, surpassing last year’s total of $41,000. Bruno Ramieri, lifelong Johnston resident and Goodfellas member, will match community donations of up to $5,000.
Donations from the fundraiser go directly to support the patients at Hasbro. Funds raised go to programs essential for children’s healing such as Child Life Services, The Healing Arts, and Patient and Family Centered Care.
“We at Hasbro Children’s Hospital rely on people like Bruno, and Cal and the Goodfellas, to support the hospital because there are a lot of services that don’t get reimbursed through insurance that are really important,” said Michele Brannigan, senior major gifts officer and campaign manager for Hasbro Children’s Hospital. “The money that they raise goes to our Greatest Needs. Every dime goes to patient care.”
The Motorcycle Run, which will take place on Sept. 7, starts at Strings Bar & Grill on George Waterman Road in Johnston. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the donation fee is $20 per person. Each participant will receive a $5 gift card to David Levesque’s Brewed Awakenings in Johnston. Kickstands go up at 11 a.m., and the hour-long motorcycle run begins. For those who don’t participate in the run itself, they are more than encouraged to register for the afterparty at the Goodfellas Clubhouse at 1 Victory Mount off Mill Street in Johnston.
“You don't have to have a motorcycle to come to the party after. If you pay $20 just like everybody else, whether you're a biker or an outsider, you get to come to our party,” said run organizer and Goodfellas member Anthony “Cal” Calabro. Calabro’s late son, Anthony Edward Calabro, is one of 10 people who will be remembered again at the upcoming 8th annual event.
The route for each year’s run is made by Goodfellas’ road captain. Motorcyclists are escorted by the Johnston police until they hit the Scituate line. “They help us get out safely,” said Calabro. “They’ve always been there for us.”
“We’ve got a big feed,” Calabro says about their annual afterparty. Members of the motorcycle club make all kinds of Italian dishes for the event. “We do all the cooking. I’ll make eggplant and pizza, my wife makes lasagna, another guy makes sausage and peppers,” he added. Continuing with their annual tradition, the afterparty will have food, drinks, live entertainment, and activities for kids.
The Goodfellas are counting on the Johnston community, and the rest of Rhode Island, to help support their mission with Hasbro. “We’re reaching out a little more with media, and so hopefully we’re going to get a lot more participants,” Calabro said.
“Johnston is a special community. It’s very generous. I work with a lot of communities around Rhode Island, and Johnston stands out,” said Brannigan.
“People in Johnston are very charitable,” said Ramieri. “It’s a working-class community, and I think people understand and appreciate that.”
Ramieri is historically a major donor of the run, and his generosity is in memory of his late wife, Pauline Ramieri. When asked about his philanthropic work with Hasbro, he cities a line in the Bible to describe his mission. “It’s in Matthew 7:16. ‘By their fruit you will recognize them,’” he said. Ramieri hopes to be known through his fruit, or his charitable actions.
Tickets can be purchased in advance from Goodfellas members, or by contacting Calabro directly through this email address, anthonycal27@verizon.net. Tickets can also be purchased at String’s Bar & Grill during registration on the day of the event. Donations can be made on their website,
The 2024 motorcycle run is in memory of: Pauline Ramieri, Anthony Edward Calabro, Freddy Benedetti III, Paul Jorge Roque, SueAnn Demetropoulos, Time Davey, Nicholas Paul Destefano, Carol Ratte, Alexis Ratte and Katelyn Marandola.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here