07/24/2003

Donations to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund should be sent to the Rhode Island Foundation. Checks should be made payable to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, c/o Rhode Island Foundation, 1 Union Station, Providence, RI 02903. Please mark "Station Nightclub Fund" on the envelope.

Victims and families seeking assistance should call (877) 748-3700.

Donations to the 100 Memorial Scholarships established at the University of Rhode Island's Feinstein College of Continuing Education to honor each of the victims of The Station Nightclub fire can be sent to: The Station Fire Scholarship Fund, c/o Alan Shawn Feinstein, 37 Alhambra Circle, Cranston, RI 02905. The Feinstein Foundation will double all donations received by July 31.

Donations are still being accepted for The Kelly Richmond Vieira Memorial Scholarship, which has been established to benefit a Case High School student wanting to pursue a career as a physical-therapy assistant. Checks made payable to the Kelly Richmond Vieira Memorial Scholarship can be sent to Lisa Curry, P.O. Box 693, Swansea, MA 02777.

Counseling, medical support

The American Lung Association of Rhode Island's Call Center has registered nurses and respiratory therapists available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to answer questions about lung damage from all sources, including fire. The center's number is (800) 548-8252.

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, coping tips and linkage with others who share a similar loss. Sessions will be facilitated by counselors and victim advocates. The next sessions will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the second-floor staff lounge and Tuesday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of St. John the Baptist School, 17 St. John St., West Warwick. For more information, call 943-9266.

Other fundraisers

The Station Fire Road Race, a five-mile course that will pass by the former site of The Station Nightclub will be held Saturday, Aug. 16, rain or shine. The start and finish are both at West Warwick High School. Walkers will take off at 9:30 a.m., runners at 10 a.m. Registration before July 26 is $20; after July 26, it is $25. There will be live music and food vendors. All proceeds will benefit The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. For more information, contact Raymond Laguerre at 225-8813 or rllaguerre@aol.com. For registration/pledge forms, visit www.coolrunning.com.