Brian Arnold’s 400 was at it again. Hillside Charitable Organization, Inc. held its summer fundraiser on Aug. 14 on the north lawn of Fort Adams State Park. More than 470 locals who love Cappy’s Hillside Café and their community gathered to raise funds for people in need and connect with friends they look forward to seeing each summer.
The organization was formed by five guys sitting at Dead Man’s Curve (IYKYK) in the late ’90s — Joe Lalli, Tom Cornell, Mike Mazza, Henry DeCotis, and John Dias, who has served as the organization’s president for the past 27 years. Dias claimed this year would be his swan song, though it is hard to imagine anyone else calling the auction of locally donated packages like he does.
The board of volunteers, which includes Steve Mutter, Jen Chapin, Ryan Kirwin, Shawn Mahoney, Bobby Silveria, Ken Bidlack, Ryan Mahoney, Mary Konchar, Charlie Koppelson, Bobby Johnson, Joe Venditelli, and Laura Coristine, works hard to secure auction items, which range from center court Celtics tickets from Rocky K and Mike Behan to a tour aboard Sean Napolitano’s Hinckley. Bill and Karen Cardinal show their support with Patriots tickets, as does Joe Fitzpatrick, who also donated a stay in New Hampshire. Liz McKinnon provided the Red Sox tickets, and Scotty McLeish’s lottery tickets delivered big bucks.
Dias revealed the organization started by giving $500 to grantees, but these days people are in greater need, and grants are in the $6,000 to $12,000 range. Liz Moniz shared how thankful she was to be the beneficiary of the foundation’s generosity when she was facing a medical crisis last year without insurance. Dias credited Moniz for being a big supporter of the foundation, as is Bill Winthrop, whose granddaughter was also a recipient last year. “You never know when it comes for you,” Winthrop told the crowd while describing treatments medical insurance does not cover.
So, Dias will go “out on top,” as he stated in his remarks, as do the 544 locals who have received help from Hillside Charitable. And birthday boy Tim Bulk walks away from the evening as “best dressed,” with Chris Kirwin reeling in a close second in his salmon tie.
