Spirito’s Restaurant, located at the Italo-American Club in Providence, was jam-packed for Sunday’s “Friends Fighting for Nico” fundraiser.
People were sitting in three first- and second-floor dining rooms, and even on the porch. And there were almost as many raffle prizes as there were people who wanted to help ease the financial burden on Dana Ventetuolo, whose son Nico, age 21 months, has been in Boston Children’s Hospital awaiting a bone marrow transplant.
“I’ve never seen such a wonderful outpouring of giving by so many people,” Barbara Flynn, who along with Lois Mazzulla-Marandola organized Sunday’s fundraiser that drew upwards of 350 people. “What started out by two friends to raise maybe $2,500 to help Nico and Dana with expenses bloomed into a $20,000-plus event.”
From the time Spirito’s opened its doors at noon until the last people left the event at somewhere around 4 p.m., a steady flow of people packed into the famed Italian-American eatery to help Nico – who has severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID – and his mother.
“Please, give a huge shout-out to Greg and David Spirito,” Flynn requested while she and Mazzulla-Marandola thanked each and every person for their love, caring and support. “They did a beautiful job creating a beautiful atmosphere and serving excellent food. Even the dessert was spectacular.”
The same could be said for the Penny Social Raffle, which featured well over 100 prizes and raised an additional $2,100 in honor of Nico and Dana. There was also a silent auction that raised even more money.
In the middle of it all were Dennis and Ruth Ventetuolo, Nico’s grandparents, who were humbled and appreciative.
“There are people here who I worked with and haven’t seen for 20 years,” Dennis said. “This is just so wonderful … we cannot thank everyone enough for their great generosity.”
Then there was Dennis Ventetuolo Jr., who read a statement written by his sister, Nico’s mother Dana, “thanking everyone who participated today to help give Nico a chance to grow up and attend kindergarten and someday possibly making it possible to dance with him at his wedding.”
Dana’s message also included a “special thank you to the anonymous bone marrow done for giving Nico a chance to live and be a healthy little boy.”
The brief but emotional speaking program also included Jared Ventetuolo, Dana’s older brother, also delivered an emotional speech during which he thanked “two long-time friends of my parents [Flynn and Mazzulla-Marandola] … without them all of this would have never been possible.”
Jared’s wife Nicia read a prayer and also provided a favor to everyone, along some literature that explained SCID disease and a pin symbolizing it.
As yet another show of community caring surfaced Sunday when Flynn announced that Diana Mollicone, a teacher at Johnston’s Brown Avenue School, is having all the students make get-well cards that will be sent to Nico at Boston’s Children’s Hospital.
“She is also asking teachers in Johnston to do the same,” Mazzulla-Marandola said of Mollicone’s project. “This is what friends are for. Dennis and Ruth have been there – time and again – and have helped many people during their years. That’s why we are all here today, to help them!”
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