Schools take part in Red Nose Day campaign

There were a lot of smiling faces inside Johnston’s Early Childhood Center last Friday.

Likewise, Johnston’s Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School and Winsor Hill, Sarah Dyer Barnes and Brown Avenue elementary schools, as well as Graniteville Pre-School, were a sea of red throughout last Friday’s entire school day.

Even Bright Start Academy in Greenville joined the Red Nose Day movement Friday, which featured dozens of red noses that Johnstonians of all ages purchased to help boost Walgreens’ local campaign to wipe out child poverty.

Kristy Pistacchio, who manages the Walgreens store on Plainfield Pike, chaired an ambitious $3,000 fundraising campaign. The money will be added to the national pharmacy chain’s 2019 total and the $150 million raised over the past five years.

Pistacchio, whose local project was her fourth in as many years, held five different events to reach her goal. “My favorite part if the campaign is when we hold Red Nose Day at the schools,” she said.

The Walgreens manager, who tonight will hold here grand finale at The Rhode Island Karting Center in Lincoln, went on: “I love watching children helping other children in such an important cause.”

Dr. Bernard DiLullo, superintendent of Johnston Public Schools, added: “Child poverty is everywhere; it’s real, real sad. I offer my sincerest congratulations to Kristy Pistacchio, Walgreens and all the people who make up the campaign that hopefully will someday end child poverty.”

DiLullo was all smiles as he took in Red Nose Day Friday at the ECC, which was lined wall to wall with red noses and super smiles on the children’s faces.

“I’m proud of all our students,” Keri Autiello, the ECC’s principal, said inside a classroom where students modeled their red noses. “Students dressed in red and donated $2 to wear a red nose.”

Moreover, two ECC students – namely Giovanna Catullo and Ethan Iavarone – served as Red Nose Day Goodwill Ambassadors and helped Pistacchio distribute noses and even picked up the empty package that was yet another important part of the 2019 campaign.

“This year, noses from this and previous years as well as its package will be recycled to make buddy benches for schools all over our country,” Pisstacchio said. “Recycling bins can be found at the front of all Walgreens stores.”

Thus, the two energetic students are part of The Feinstein Junior Scholars at the ECC, and as Autiello added: “We all are proud that this day is dedicated to ending child poverty both in the U.S. and in some of the poorest communities in the world.” 1