Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, September
12, 2010
Quick Article Index . . .
Beers, cheers, and rock;
bikers roll for a wish Come True.
|
Beers, cheers, and chicks; bikers roll
for a wish Come True. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, September
12, 2010 Photos/EverythingWestport.com View the
hi-resolution photo album for this event now! 48 photos | Dial-up speed | Broadband/DSL speed | Beers, cheers, and chicks; bikers roll for
a wish Come True. Sparkling
weather and Patriots’ cheerleaders brought out hundreds to the Holy Ghost
grounds; and that’s just the number of motorcycles! Hundreds of people also came
to celebrate the 17th annual Rock, Rhythm and Blues Festival. Sparkling
weather brightened up the 17th Annual Rock, Rhythm and Blues Festival as a
thunderous squadron of motorcycles and hundreds of visitors turned out on a
sunny Saturday, and in the process raised thousands of dollars for A Wish
Comes True. Where else can you donate a few bucks and having a rockin’ good
time doing it! The
Saturday motorcycle run brought out a near record number of riders who anted
up their cash to support A Wish Come True. A
Wish Come True poster child Georgia Bergin again marshaled the run on the
back of Fuzzy’s Harley (left). The cheerful 20-year-old woman was sent to
Disney World several years ago through the charitable efforts of this
wonderful Rhode Island-based charity. The
Festival opened under beautiful early fall skies, and brought in hundreds of
visitors and thousands of dollars for A Wish Come True. In a world where
Harley’s rule and women know it, these guys and gals ponied up and gave their
hearts and hard-earned dollars to support the Tiverton-based charity where
dreams do come true. A
Wish Come True, Inc. is a local nonprofit organization founded in 1982 that
grants wishes to medically qualified children ages 3 through 18, who have a
life-threatening illness and live in Rhode Island and areas of southeastern
Massachusetts. The charity is Rhode Island’s oldest
wish-granting nonprofit.
The
RR&B festival is the brainchild of Westport's Frankie Ray and friends.
When Mr. Ray, a member of the band Soul Power, originated the idea for the
festival, he wanted the proceeds to go to charity. He picked A Wish Come True, a nonprofit that has
been granting wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses since 1982.
To refer a child, contact A Wish Come True
Inc. at (401) 781-9199 or email: john@awishcometrue.org The
inaugural festival brought in $658. Frankie Ray, a cherished friend of A Wish
Come True, announced at the end 2008 festival that they raised $27,763 with nearly 1,000 music lovers in attendance.
Contributing to that total was a $3,035 donation by the New Bedford Moose
Lodge #914, and $5,800 generated by a University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth
Sports Marketing class fundraising project. The check was presented by
Professor Nicole Castonguay. The 2008 festival boosted the event’s
fundraising total since inception, to well over $360,000. 2010 figures will
be updated at a later time.
Left: Amanda (left) and Brittany (right) pose with poster girl Georgia Bergin and friends; Center and Right: Patriots’ cheerleaders get the bidding up for A
Wish Come True. With a little help from his friends! Long time supporter of the Rock, Rhythm and
Blues Festival, Michael Rodrigues watched from the sidelines as his donated
bike was raffled off by auctioneer Steve Medeiros with a little help from
Brittany and Amanda of the Boston Patriots cheerleading squad. The two svelte
cheerleaders headlined the 17th annual Westport event that brings thousands
of dollars each year into A Wish Come True Foundation. “This was a great year, especially since last
year was way off due to the weather,” said Rosemary Bowers, founder and
executive director of A Wish Come True. “But everybody pulled together and
through the generosity of our riders and sponsors, and the hundreds of
visitors who contributed at the festival we did very well this year. Thank
you all so very much.”
Left: Louie Leeman & Cheap Sneakers. Right:
Blues Train The
beer poured and the music flowed Saturday and Sunday afternoon as one
terrific band after another came on stage to support a Wish Come True. For the
17th year, Frankie Ray and these area musicians did their part to help
terminally ill kids have their day in the sun. These bands have
compassion! And
the food and raffles weren’t bad either. Dale B. of Westport won Saturday’s $800+
50/50 raffle and immediately donated it back to A Wish Come True.
Bluegrass night featuring Bud
Smith & Friends Bluegrass Band. Saturday Schedule 1:00 Louie Leeman & Cheap Sneakers 2:30 Blues Train 4:00 Shot in the Dark 5:30 Wolf & the Jam Dandies
1:00 Eat A Peach 2:30 Detroit Breakdown 4:00 Wild Nites 5:30 Boneshaker
Left: Georgia Bergin with A Wish Come True’s Rosemary
Bowen. Center: State Representative Michael Rodrigues gets a cheer of
support for his State Senate run by Patriots’ cheerleaders Brittany and
Amanda. Right: Amanda holds up one of two five-pound lobsters for
auction.
Left: Detroit Breakdown gearing it up for A Wish Come
True. Center: Frankie Ray and family take over the auction chores on
Sunday. Right: Sheriff Tom Hodgson and friends Chuck Gregory of the Tribune, Debbie Carreira and Rick Holden.
Professor Nicole
Castonguay (above center, right), seen with brother Frankie Jr., stepfather
Frankie Ray, and Rosemary Bowen, generated a whopping $7,700 through her
University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth Sports Marketing class fundraising
project. Nicole
had organized her 60 students into seven groups to provide a competitive
environment in fundraising through innovative marketing campaigns. - - - - - End - - -
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