03/27/2003

The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations through today up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds received over that amount and after today will be forwarded to the Rhode Island Foundation to be administered as an endowment to help provide for the longer-term unmet needs of The Station nightclub fire victims and their families.

Through today, donations may be made by check payable to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, c/o United Way, 229 Waterman St., Providence, RI 02906.

As of tomorrow, donations may be sent to the longer-term fund by a check made payable to the Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, c/o Rhode Island Foundation, One Union Station, Providence, RI 02903.

Please mark "Station Nightclub Fund" on your envelope.

The Bridget Sanetti Scholarship Fund has been set up to further the work Bridget was doing as a school-to-career counselor for the Hillside Alternative Education Program in Woonsocket. Checks made payable to the Bridget Sanetti Scholarship Fund can be sent to the Rhode Island Foundation, 1 Union Station, Providence, RI 02903. For more information, call (866) 274-4564.

East Side Marketplace, Shore's Market and George Greer/Wise Potato Chips, under the the aegis of the Rhode Island Food Dealers Association, will collect donations for victims of The Station fire. East Side Marketplace and Shores have set up collection stations and will match customer donations through mid-April. George Greer Inc.'s independent route salesmen are taking up a collection to benefit the relief efforts. All donations and matching funds will be given to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For more information, call Karen Virtue at Eastside Marketplace, 831-7771; Lisa Lisi at Shore's Market, 353-1924, or Bill Candon at George Greer Inc., 942-2450.

Vision III Architects has established the Suffoletto Memorial Trust in memory of Ben and Linda Suffoletto, who died in The Station fire. The trust will help provide their son Zachary with financial support for his educational and living needs. Donations payable to the Suffoletto Memorial Trust may be sent to Vision III Architects, 225 Chapman St., Providence, RI 02905.

F.C. Phillips Inc. has set up the Cathy Sagesta Fund to benefit Station fire victim and long-time employee Catherine Sagesta. A single mother of two daughters, Cathy is listed in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital and will require a great deal of long-term medical attention. Checks made payable to Catherine Sagesta can be mailed to F.C. Phillips, Inc., 471 Washington St., Stoughton, Mass. 02072.

Counseling, medical support

Hillside Health Center, 99 Hillside Ave., Providence, will hold a community blood drive to benefit the victims of The Station fire today from noon to 4 p.m. Call 272-3887 for more information.

The Rhode Island Victims' Advocacy & Support Center (RIVASC) and the Diocese of Providence will sponsor bimonthly informational support sessions for families and friends directly affected by The Station fire. The sessions are designed to provide information about practical issues that arise in the aftermath of violent death, as well as group support offering coping tips and linkage with others who share a similar loss. Sessions will be facilitated by counselors and victim advocates with expertise in dealing with violent loss. April sessions will be held at St. John the Baptist School, 17 St. John St., West Warwick, at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 1 (school library), and April 15 and 29 (school cafeteria). For more information, call 943-9266.

Other fundraisers

The Life Line Fund is offering free tax-return preparation services Wednesday in conjunction with the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants. For more information, contact Life Line Fund at 559-1190 or visit its Web site at Lifelinefund.org.

An Evening with Friends for Friends will feature a pasta dinner at 7 p.m. and three all-girl bands -- Sister Funk, Girlz4 Like That and Echo Janes -- at 9 p.m. today at the Kelly Gazerro VFW Post, 1418 Plainfield St., Cranston. Tickets are $20 and will be sold at the door or can be purchased in advance by calling 886-7877. All proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross for distribution to families of The Station fire victims.

A Ray of Hope Benefit Concert to benefit Station fire victims and their families, featuring the Muffinheads, Mustard and Nurtured in Purple, will be held tomorrow from 7 to 11 p.m. at the West Warwick Civic Center, Factory Street, West Warwick. Tickets are $10 and are available in advance by calling 440-6979. All proceeds will go to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund.

A benefit concert will be held tomorrow from noon to 2 a.m. at the Hawthorne Country Club, 970 Tucker Rd., Dartmouth, Mass. Minimum donation of $10 is requested at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. The event is sponsored by John Van Deusen IV and Matthew Van Deusen, the son and nephew of John Van Deusen III, and their band, Falling 2 Nowhere. John Van Deusen III is in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital. For more information, go to http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/message2jvd/ or call (508) 994-5796 and ask for Dawn or Leo.

A pasta and meatball dinner will be held tomorrow from 4 p.m. to midnight at AMF Cranston Lanes (Sunburst Lounge), Elmwood Avenue, Cranston, to raise money for Linda Fisher, a survivor of The Station fire who is in good condition at Rhode Island Hospital. Seating capacity in the hall is only 150, but donations will be taken downstairs in the bowling alley for carry-out food trays. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Donations will also be accepted today at the AMF Lanes. Checks should be made payable to Linda Fisher.

Catering for a Cause will host a benefit for victims of The Station fire Sunday from 1 to 10 p.m. at the Westerly Armory, Railroad Avenue and Dixon Street, Westerly. Spearheaded by local chefs Mike Ogle, of 84 High Street, and Eric Perrin, of Mystic Market Catering, the benefit will feature live music and gourmet food and beverages from the area's top restaurants, caterers and merchants. Entertainment will be provided by Dave Howard & the High Rollers, Johnny & the East Coast Rockers, Lori Urso, Dopey Lopes, Crutch Woman, J.P. Jones & Rite Tite, ADHD, The Swess and The Cankickers. Tickets are $25. All proceeds will go to the Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For information, call Mike Ogle at 741-0508, Eric Perrin at 741-4108, Paul Woerner at 322-0588 or Robert George at 596-1997.

A pasta dinner to benefit Station Fire victim Pamela Gruttadauria, who is in critical condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, will be held Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the West Valley Inn, West Warwick. Geri Verdi, Eric Fontana and Smoking Jackets will perform. Tickets are $20. All proceeds will be donated to the Pam Gruttadauria Fund. For more information, call Joela Bolarinho at 941-3062.

The Harris Fire District, in Coventry, will hold a fundraiser brunch for victims of The Station nightclub fire Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Savario's Restaurant and Lounge, 1650 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Coventry. Tickets are $12. All proceeds will go to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For tickets, Call Lt. Michael Medeiros at 826-7312.

The One Voice Studio, of Slatersville, will present two benefit concerts at Chan's Four Season Room, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, Sunday at 6 p.m. and Monday at 7 p.m. The concert will feature an array of award-winning love songs. The cast is made up of young people from North Smithfield, Lincoln, Burrillville and Woonsocket, as well as Uxbridge, Blackstone and Millville, Mass. Tickets are $10 and an optional buffet will be served an hour before the show. All proceeds will be given to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For reservations, call John Chan at 765-1900 or Natalie deRezendes at 766-8316.

Leadership Rhode Island has teamed up with the Rhode Island Blood Center to organize a blood drive to benefit victims of The Station fire Tuesday and Wednesday at any of the four donation centers. For more information, contact the Blood Center at (800) 283-8385.

The Rhode Island Health Care Association will host "We Care," a dinner and musical tribute to benefit the victims and families of The Station fire featuring John Cafferty and members of the Beaver Brown Band, Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the West Valley Inn, 4 Blossom Rd., West Warwick. Tickets are $50. Checks, made payable to RIHCA (memo Station Fire Victims Fund), can be mailed to RIHCA, 57 Kilvert St., Suite 200, Warwick, RI 02886. All proceeds will go to the Station Fire Victims Fund. For tickets or more information, call 732-9333.

Warwick Veterans Memorial High School, 2401 West Shore Rd., Warwick, will hold a magic show and ice cream social Thursday. Magician Bruce Kalver will perform from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. and Ben & Jerry's ice cream sundaes will be served from 7:15 to 8 p.m. The cost is $5 plus one nonperishable food item per person. All children must be accompanied by an adult. All proceeds will be given to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For reservations and to ensure there will be enough ice cream, call 825-2219.

Sgt. David Langevin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 449, 197 Providence St., West Warwick, will hold a ham raffle to benefit victims of the Station fire Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m. All proceeds will go to The Station Fire Victims Fund.

Scituate High School students will hold a spaghetti and meatball dinner to raise money for the fire victims and their families on Saturday, April 5, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Scituate High School cafeteria and auxiliary gym, 94 Trimtown Rd., Scituate. Tickets, available at the door or by calling the school, are $7 for adults and children; $3 for children 5 and under. All proceeds will go to the Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For more information, call the school at 647-4120.

The Ground Round Restaurant at the Warwick Mall is sponsoring a raffle to benefit Barbara McGill, whose fiancé Derek Gray was a fire victim and the father of her unborn child. McGill is a waitress at the Ground Round in Andover, Mass.

NWA New England superstars, with Jonah from WWE Tough Enough 3, will present a fundraiser for victims of The Station fire Sunday, April 6, in the ring at Riverside Middle School, 179 Forbes St., Riverside. Bell time is 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and a limited number of ringside seats are available for $15. Proceeds will be donated to various funds set up for the victims and families. For more information or presale tickets, e-mail Amber at x--little--one--x@hotmail.com and include number of tickets, general admission or ringside, your name and telephone number for verification and the words fundraiser tickets in the subject line. Tickets will be held up until a few minutes before bell time.

The Station Blues Benefit, featuring Doug James Big Band, Bad Luck N Trouble, The Dave Howard Band, Rackey Thomas, The Lois Greco Band, The Kim Trusty Band, Fat Wall Jack, Vegas Lords and Minus Linus will be held Sunday, April 6, from 1 to 11 p.m. at Sal's R&B Club, 200 George Waterman Rd., Johnston. A buffet will be provided by Lombardi's and a silent auction and a raffle will also be held to raise money for the victims of The Station fire. Suggested donation is $20. Tickets are also available at Our Place Tuxedo in North Providence. All proceeds will be split between a fund for fire victim Gina Russo and The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For information, call 232-5470 or visit www.salsrbclub.com.

Topps Elite Day Spa, 227 Bald Hill Rd., Warwick, will hold a fundraiser Sunday, April 6, from noon to 4 p.m., to raise money for Michael Iannone, who was injured in The Station fire. Anyone making a donation of $15 will be able to choose from a wet haircut, a mini makeover, a facial waxing, a 15-minute foot massage or exfoliating manicure. Those who wish only to make a donation may also do so at the salon on Thursday and Friday, April 3 and 4. For more information, call 738-9999.

Yesterday's Restaurant, 28 Washington Square, Newport -- together with local merchants, musicians, food and beverage purveyors and restaurant employees -- will donate their time and product for a four-course dinner with live music, raffles and a silent auction Monday, April 7, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50. All proceeds will go to the Hospitality Relief Fund. For more information, call Jennifer Trainer or Alex Daglis at 847-0125.

Angel Wing's Production will hold a fundraising dinner and concert featuring the best karaoke singers in New England Friday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at Evelyn's Villa, 272 Cowesett Ave., West Warwick. All performers, waiters and waitresses will donate their time and services for that night and some vendors will donate their wares. All money raised will be handled by Centreville Savings Bank, which will turn it over to the United Way.