Pastore Foundation to hold 10th anniversary fundraiser

The Peter T. Pastore Jr. Charitable Foundation has announced that its 10th anniversary fundraiser will be held on Thursday, May 12, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Chapel Grille, 3000 Chapel View Boulevard in Cranston. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser help fulfill the foundation’s mission to mobilize the generous spirit of the community in support of education, sports and recreational activities, and human services for youth in Cranston and surrounding communities.

“I am truly grateful for the tireless efforts of our dedicated board members, friends and community supporters who, for ten years, have honored Peter’s legacy,” said Dr. Louise DiChiara Pastore, chair of the foundation. “This year’s fundraiser will be a special celebration of the foundation’s commitment to advancing Peter’s vision and to make a difference in the lives of youth who are in need throughout our community.”

The foundation was established in honor of former Cranston City Council President Peter T. Pastore Jr., who passed away in June 2006. Since its inception in 2007, the foundation has donated more than $100,000 to local beneficiaries, including the Pastore Youth Center at the Cranston YMCA, CLCF Sports, CABINS (Community Against Bullying in Schools), Junior Achievement of Rhode Island, AccessPoint Rhode Island’s Cornerstone School, and Special Olympics Rhode Island.

Tickets for the May 12 fundraiser are $50 per person, which includes a buffet and cash bar. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the BankNewport branch at 875 Pontiac Ave. in Cranston, or by contacting event chair Greg Ventura at greg_ventura@hotmail.com. Tickets can also purchased at the door the night of the event.

Holly’s Spirit

The seventh annual Holly’s Spirit 5K Run/Walk & Kids Fun Run will be held on May 14 through the streets of Coventry. The proceeds from this event will benefit the Lance Cpl. Holly Charette Foundation.

Holly was a sweet, kind and spirited soul. She joined the Marines after 9/11 because she wanted to do something for her country. Holly was 21 years old, defending our country in Fallujah, Iraq, when her convoy was struck by a suicide bomber on June 23, 2005. Holly was the first female Marine to lose her life during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The foundation was started in 2006 to remember and honor Holly’s name and to help select students from the two high schools that she attended – Cranston High School East and Coventry High School – with books, supplies, and anything else needed to get through their school year.

The run begins at 9 a.m. (8:30 a.m. start for wheelchairs). This family-friendly event starts at Coventry High School. T-Shirts are given to the first 300 pre-entrants. Awards will be given to top overall male and female finishers, as well as the top three finishers in various groups.

Registration is available by searching for Holly’s Spirit on active.com or calling 401-392-3596. Entrance fees are $20 per person before May 12, and $25 on race day. The Kids Fun Run fee is $5.

Pancake breakfast

The Cranston Rotary Club is holding a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 15, at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center, 100 Metropolitan Ave. Tickets are $7 per person, and the breakfast is all-you-can-eat. Tickets are available through a Rotarian or at the YMCA. All proceeds support the Cranston club’s charitable work.

Comedy For a Cause

Bill Simas presents “Comedy For a Cause,” to benefit a Funny 4 Funds charity, on Sunday, May 15, at the Warwick Knights of Columbus, located at 475 Sandy Lane in Warwick. Ten first-time comics will perform, and each contestant will have five minutes. Five judges will score each contestant. The top two will perform at Comix at Mohegan Sun on June 17. Doors open at 2 p.m., and the show begins at 3 p.m. For more information, call Bill Simas at 401-639-2082.

Family Safety Day

The Cranston Substance Abuse Task Force is hosting Family Safety Day on Saturday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bank of America parking lot, 100 Midway Road in Garden City. It will be a fun-filled day with activities for the whole family. Free bike helmets will be provided for the first 300 children, and there will be, face painting and crafts, car seat checks, information on bike and fire safety, and more. The event will be held rain or shine.

Cranston Senior Guild bus trip

The Cranston Senior Guild is planning a bus trip to Foxwoods on Wednesday, June 29. The cost of the trip is $23 per person. The price includes round-trip motor coach bus, free buffet or $10 food coupon to any restaurant at the casino, and $10 of bonus slot play. The bus makes two pickups – 9 a.m. from the Dwares JCC, 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, and 9:15 a.m. from the Rhode Island Mall near Sears Auto Center. The bus will depart Foxwoods at 3:15 p.m. Payment must be received by June 15. All are welcome. For more information, call Sunny at 401-785-0748.

Prom Time at CCAP

Prom Time is a program in which donated prom clothing and accessories are offered free of charge to teens in CCAP’s Youth Center Programs. CCAP’s Operation Prom Dress has over 200 new or gently used dresses of various sizes, along with accessories. Dresses are available on first-come, first-served basis, and participants must be registered in a CCAP Youth Center Program. Hair and makeup gift certificates from Aveda are available while supplies last. For more information and to register, contact one of CCAP’s Youth Centers or call 401-562-8325.

Farmers Market now open

The Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market is now open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through Oct. 29. It is located at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston.

Pasta & Puccini

On Thursday, May 26, the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center will feature “Pasta & Puccini,” the second installment of “Opera Night at the Center.” Tickets are $20 per person. The menu includes a pasta dish, salad, garlic stick, glass of wine, and dessert. After the meal, sit back and enjoy the opera show. Dinner will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., with the performance following at 7 p.m. Call 401-780-6216 for more information and reservations.

CCAP’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs receive a perfect review

Comprehensive Community Action (CCAP) Head Start and Early Head Start programs have received a perfect review from the U. S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

In late March, ACF conducted a Comprehensive Services/School Readiness review of CCAP’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs. There were no areas of non-compliance, and CCAP received a perfect review.

“We are thrilled to receive a perfect review. It’s rare for a program to receive a perfect score, especially given there are over 1,800 performance standards,” said Joanne McGunagle, president and CEO of CCAP. “I want to congratulate and thank our amazing teachers and staff who provide quality education to our children every day.”

ACF is a division of the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services. AFC promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.

CCAP’s Head Start and Early Head Start is the largest childcare provider in Cranston, serving approximately 75 percent of the eligible children in the city.

Their programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services to enrolled children and families.

CCAP’s Head Start/Early Head Start is now recruiting children from birth to five years old.  For more information, call 401-943-5160.

Cranston Corner

The mayor’s office has launched “The Cranston Corner,” which provides periodic city news updates and alerts via email. To sign up, visit the city’s website, cranstonri.com.

Cranston Community Yard Sale/Car Wash

The class of 2017 at Cranston High School East will hold a yard sale/car wash on May 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is being held outside of Cranston East, with a rain date of May 29. Rental space is available at $10 per space (table not provided) and a $5 car wash. Call the high school at 401-270-8126 for further information.

May is National Foster Care Month

Family Service of RI is celebrating May as National Foster Care Month by holding an informational open house for anyone interested in learning about foster parenting on May 18 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Family Service of RI, 134 Thurbers Ave. in Providence. Foster parents receive tax-free dollars to support the placement, free medical coverage for the child, and a clothing allowance, along with 24/7 support. For more information, call 401-331-1350, ext. 3305, email wrightgr@familyserviceri.org, or visit familyserviceri.org.

Academic News & Notes

Assumption College honored 68 students with awards for academic excellence during its 32nd annual Honors Convocation, held on April 20 in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Awards ranged from departmental honors to special recognitions, to Augustine Scholarships, the college’s highest academic honor. During the ceremony, Carmino Riccio of Cranston, a member of the class of 2016, received the departmental award for biology with a concentration in neuroscience and behavior.

A total of 37 students received Outstanding Student of the Year honors at Stonehill College’s recent Scholars Celebration. Thomas Gumbley of Cranston was named Outstanding Student of the Year for both the economics and environmental studies departments. Christopher McKay of Cranston was named the mathematics department’s Outstanding Student of the Year.

The Assumption College Department of History has announced that Riley Martin of Cranston has become a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the History National Honor Society. Martin, class of 2017, was inducted into the honor society on Wednesday, April 6.

Cranston native Alexandria N. Taylor, a member of the class of 2017, was recently inducted into Stonehill College’s Lambda Epsilon Sigma Honor Society. The purpose of the society is to recognize and promote scholarship. Taylor is a psychology major.

Pancake Breakfast

Join the Cranston Rotary for their Pancake Breakfast on May 15 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Cranston Career and Technical Center (100 Metropolitan Ave.). The price is $7 per person and tickets are available from a Rotarian or the YMCA. It is an all-you-can-eat breakfast. All proceeds support charitable work by the Rotary Club in Cranston.

Team Bicycling Bombardier’s Fundraiser

There will be a carwash, bake sale, and raffle to raise money for the American Diabetes Association on May 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Woodridge Congregational Church, 546 Budlong Road, Cranston. Matthew and Amanda Bombardier will be participating in the Tour de Cure on June 5 for Team Bicycling Bombardier’s. The Tour de Cure is more than just a cycling event, it’s a day packed with excitement and energy where riders of all levels join forces in the fight to stop diabetes and raise critical funds for diabetes research, education, and advocacy in support of the American Diabetes Association. If you are interested in getting involved with the Ocean State Tour de Cure please contact Jennifer Kennedy, manager of development for the American Diabetes Association, at jkennedy@diabetes.org.

St. Mary School Cranston searching for alumni

The bells of St. Mary School are calling all alumni for a celebration of 65 years of excellence in Catholic education on Sept. 17, 2016. To achieve this, the school is seeking input to compile an up-to-date database in order to contact as many as possible, beginning with the very first graduating class of 1960. Those responding should furnish the following: full name (maiden if applicable), current complete address, phone number indicating land and cell, email address, and graduation year. Submit via one of these methods: email to llepore@stmaryschoolri.org, Facebook (visit St Mary’s School Cranston Alumni), place a form in the collection basket at St. Mary Church in an envelope marked “Alumni,” or mail information to ALUMNI, St. Mary School, 85 Chester Ave., Cranston, RI 02920. It is gratefully appreciated that everyone reading this pass it on and share with other alumni.

Combined class reunion

 On Saturday, Aug. 13, beginning at noon, there will be a joint class reunion for the Cranston High School East classes of 1966 and 1981 at the Masonic Youth Center, 116 Long St., Warwick. There is no fee. Bring your own food and beverages. They will be celebrating their 50th and 35th year reunion, respectively. The events are for classmates and invited guests only. Richard Carlson is serving as the class administrator for 1966 and Glenn Carlson for 1981. Richard may be reached at 401-744-8635, or you may contact Greg Oden at 401-965-0983. Glenn may be reached at 401-641-8251. For further details, visit classreport.org.

Save the date

The second annual CCAP Chip for Charity and Community Awards Dinner will kick-off with a round of golf along beautiful Greenwich Bay, followed by the 2016 dinner honoring Cranston Mayor Allan Fung. This is the largest fundraiser CCAP hosts during the year to benefit its programs and services. Last year, CCAP provided $2 million in uncompensated services to those in need in the community. For information on sponsorship opportunities, golf registration, or to purchase tickets, contact Lee Beliveau at 401-562-8353 or beliveau@comcap.org.

Did You Know?

Spring fever is a real syndrome. When the temperature rises during the warm spell after a long winter, there is a dilation of the blood vessels so blood can be carried to the body surface where heat can be lost quickly. People experience an energetic feeling when this happens. (Source: Spring Fun Facts)

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