Special Olympics motorcycle run revs up

By Pete Fontaine
Posted 5/25/17

By PETE FONTAINE

For people like Phil Viens, the Special Olympics Motorcycle Run is a labor of love.

“I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for 17 years,” Viens, who co-owns and …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Special Olympics motorcycle run revs up

Posted

By PETE FONTAINE

For people like Phil Viens, the Special Olympics Motorcycle Run is a labor of love.

“I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for 17 years,” Viens, who co-owns and operates Scituate Liquors on Route 6, said while previewing the 2017 run that will be held on Saturday, June 3. “I remember when we started [in 1999] how this run has grown in popularity.”

Back in 1999, Viens was a Johnson Police patrolman. He approached Chief Richard S. Tamburini with the idea of raising money for Special Olympics Rhode Island – in form of a motorcycle run – and how the decorated 50-year plus law enforcement officer endorsed the event.

Since then, participation, as well as excitement, has increased with each passing run. So much so, in fact, Viens and his all-volunteer committee have worked tirelessly to make the 18th Annual Motorcycle Run the biggest and best ever.

“I’m ready to rock and roll,” Viens said while showing off the event’s shirts, that this year feature long sleeves and special designs on the front and back. “We’ve got a lot of new sponsors; I’m hoping for great weather and hopefully our biggest number of bikes ever.”

The entrance fee is $30 per rider and can either be paid in advance or on June 3 when registration opens at Grieco Collision located at 181 Putnam Ave. in Johnston. The event is sponsored by Special Olympics RI, Scituate Liquors and Grieco Automotive Group and features perhaps the largest block party-like send off in Rhode Island.

“We will again be offering free hot dogs and hamburgers during the pre-run party,” Viens said of the food portion of the event that’s being donated by Rhode Island Beef and Little Rhody, respectively. “We’ll also have pizza and calzones, courtesy of The Original Italian Bakery right here in Johnston.”

Viens heaped words of thanks and praise upon Don DePetrillo, who owns and operates The Original Italian Bakery, who he called “unbelievable…incredible…for his generosity.”

Not only is DePetrillo supplying his famous pizza chips and calzones, he’s donating the use of a refrigeration truck to keep those items cool.

“As I said before,” Viens said, “I’m ready to rock and roll.”

The Running Wild Band will again provide music during the pre-run party that will also feature music by Mike Mollicone, a noted disc jockey who owns a popular business entitled Pop-Up-Parties.

Viens invited motorcyclists to the pre-ride party begins at 4 o’clock on Saturday, June 3 inside the Grieco Collision parking lot on Route 44 in Johnston, and said that the actual run to the annual Special Olympics RI Summer Games and Closing Ceremony will be off at 7 p.m.

“Our motorcycles will be under police protection all the way to the University of Rhode Island in Kingston,” Viens said of the site of the SORI Summer Games. “Although this is not an affiliated police event, lots and lots of law enforcement personnel have again donated lots of time as volunteers.”

Viens then toasted the work of Mario Mennella and Ashley Morocco, who are both members of the Johnston Police Department and Tracy Garabedien of SORI. He also praised Chuck Psilopoulos, a JPD patrolman, for “bringing in a lot of new sponsors on his day’s off.”

“Its people like Chuck who help up push our proceeds over the top,” Viens went on. “It’s also people like [Rhode Island] State Trooper Kyle Shibley who help make this event extra special each and every year.”

For more information or registration, call Viens at 829-0903; Mennella at 643-4995 or contact Garabedian at Tracy@specialolympicsri.org.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here