“It’s the littlest of heroes that change the world!”
That’s the slogan attached to the Little Heroes Fund, a Rhode Island-based non-profit founded to help pre-teen females who suffer from Aicardi syndrome.
Sunday, at just about noon, upwards of 80 motorcycle enthusiasts turned superheroes as they participated in the fourth annual Little Heroes Bike Run, which started and finished at the famed Rosario Club in the section known as Silver Lake that borders Johnston, Providence and Cranston.
In the middle of it all was Emilio “Emo” Sabitoni, an ageless 40-plus-year member of the Johnston Police Department, who also wears the tag “Rhode Captain” of the always-giving Screamin’ Eagles motorcycle organization.
“We’ve raised over $2,000 today,” Sabitoni said after riding with the 80 other plus motorcycle owners to West Greenwich then returning and cooking a full-fledge Italian-American dinner with Tony “Chief Two Feathers” Rossi. “But we’ve got lots more money coming in from sponsorships and generous people who care about Meeting Street School.”
Sabitoni is one of many record-setting donors who have consistently raised money for Meeting Street through the years.
He and his daughter – Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian – make an appearance on WPRI-TV’s annual Meeting Street School Telethon held in January and present a check well over $12,000 in memory of his late cousin, Rosie Sabitoni-Randall, who along with her husband Brad was killed in a motorcycle accident some years ago.
But this time around, Sabitoni decided to change things around to benefit both the Little Heroes Fund and Meeting Street.
All money raised at Sunday’s bike run will be donated to Meeting Street in the name of Brad and Rosie and Danica Deneault, the daughter of Erik and Dawn Deneault who also attends the award-winning Providence-based special school.
And Rosie, Sabitoni wanted it remembered, “was a beloved teacher at Meeting Street before she was killed in that motorcycle accident.”
Likewise, Danica has been the poster child for the Screamin’ Eagles Motorcycle group that enjoys raising money for special events.
The Deneaults started the Little Heroes Fund because they were inspired by their daughter, who has a rare syndrome that causes aggressive infantile spasm and moderate development delays.
“Because of her illness, we have met hundreds of families with special needs children and have discovered a need for better dissemination of information and state and federal resources,” Erik noted. “So we started a fund to help these families with equipment, therapeutic toys, services and so much more.”
Anyone who’d like to make a donation to the fund may do so by sending a check to the Little Heroes Fund, 7 Allen Ave., North Providence, RI 02911, or by calling people like Sabitoni at 401-230-4357 or Erik Deneault at 401-243-4733.
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