All Entries in the "Volume 5, Issue 6" Category
Feel the Power of Music:Bradley Hospital’s Annual Gala, Raises Record $557,425
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – As music filled the air at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet on Friday, June 3, setting the tone for what would be an inspirational night, Bradley Hospital welcomed more than 350 supporters to its 2016 Bravo, Bradley gala, Feel the Power of Music. Chaired by Marcy and Rick Granoff, the signature event raised a Bradley record $557,425 to advance the hospital’s pioneering pediatric mental health care, education and research.
Of the total raised, the event’s live auction Fund-a-Need generated $160,250 to help establish an outpatient clinic for young patients with autism and developmental disabilities.
“Every day at Bradley, we heal the hearts and minds of children and their families who often have nowhere else to turn for help, and so much of that work is possible thanks to the generosity of our donor community,” said Daniel J. Wall, President of Bradley Hospital. “As we mark the 85th anniversary of Bradley opening its doors, it was philanthropy that fueled our creation and remains the fuel that keeps us on the leading edge of care, cures and hope—our sincerest thanks to everyone who made this event a success.”
With an overarching theme that captured music’s intrinsic ability to bring forth powerful emotions and connect people, guests were treated to a special musical performance by The 18 Wheelers and Sidy Maïga to kick-off the evening. After a moving video about a young boy’s challenges with mental illness, autism and other developmental disabilities, and the impact Bradley Hospital has had on his life, professional auctioneer Paul Zekos of The Zekos Group presented the event’s live auction and Fund-a-Need.
As Mr. Zekos introduced an impressive array of items, spirited bidding surrounded each with two experiences generating a level of friendly competition that resulted in additional packages being added mid-auction. Three sets of guests bid $12,000 individually, each landing a7-night trip to Tuscany for four to stay in a Cortona Villa, while two in-home dinners for 10 prepared by Chef Ben Lloyd of The Salted Slate in Providence sold for $8,500 each. At the end of the auction, guests dined on dinner expertly prepared by Russell Morin Fine Catering and danced to the sounds of Steve Anthony & Persuasion.
“We are honored to have had the opportunity to chair such an important event and work alongside a committee whose unprecedented involvement and dedication paved the way for the record amount raised,” said Rick Granoff, who chaired this year’s Bravo, Bradley with his wife, Marcy.
“Helping children live life to the fullest is what Bradley is all about—this is a hospital near and dear to our hearts—and thanks to the community’s outpouring of support, more children and families will benefit from its life-changing care,” added Marcy. Bradley Hospital extends special thanks to title sponsors, Susan and David Brown, and Richard and Susanne Baccari and family; presenting sponsor, AECOM; leadership donor, Amica Companies Foundation; and platinum sponsors, Marcy and Rick Granoff, and Transdev.
About Bradley Hospital
Founded in 1931, Bradley Hospital, located in East Providence, R.I., was the nation’s first psychiatric hospital devoted exclusively for children and adolescents. It remains a nationally recognized center for children’s mental health care, training and research. Bradley Hospital is a member of the Lifespan health system and is a teaching hospital for The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BradleyHospital) and on Twitter (@BradleyHospital).
Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea Communicating Improvements to Rhode Island Businesses
by Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea
As Secretary of State, I am committed to enhancing commerce and making it easier for folks to do business in Rhode Island. To do this, I tasked the Business Services Division at the Department of State to identify opportunities to improve the way we work with and communicate to businesses.
Newly-designed business forms:
For example, in November of 2015, we introduced newly formatted and interactive forms to make them easier to fill out by business owners. We made sure that we had frequent users preview our designs. Their feedback was critical in making sure the new forms were easy to use. Despite all our best efforts, we had an unanticipated problem once we launched the forms – when the new forms are repeatedly copied or faxed they become harder to read. Because our ultimate goal is to make things easier for businesses in Rhode Island, we quickly remedied this issue and have rereleased these forms for immediate use. (We ask that businesses discard any new business services forms with an edit date prior to May 2016 (05/2016).)
Staying up to date with the Department of State:
At the Department of State, we understand that any change in our operations needs to be communicated clearly and effectively to our business owners. Whether it’s changing a deadline or implementing a brand new process, it is our job to keep Rhode Island businesses informed and prepared.
As required by law, we will use traditional mail to let you know of updates and changes, but we also offer business owners the chance to receive these updates via e-mail through our Business Services E-mail Subscription Service.
When you join our Business Services E-mail Subscription Service, you can receive three different types of e-mail notifications with varying frequency.
A. General Information
Those who subscribe to this notification will receive the latest updates from the Department of State, including legislative updates, elections information, and latest news from our Divisions. This preference also provides updates on service outages and weather/holiday related office closures. You can expect updates on general information about six to twelve times a year.
B. Business Entity Record Updates
Subscribers to this notification will be updated when a filing has been posted or an update has been made to their entity. You will also receive formal notifications issued by our office. Subscribing to this notification is a great way to verify our receipt of a filing and to protect against corporate identity theft.
C. Official Communications
This notification is our way to send important reminders on filing deadlines and reporting requirements. Most recently, we used this notification to alert business owners to the adjustments we made to filing forms located in the 8 RISBJ | rhode island small business journal Business Portal. You can expect Official Communications from us to come three to six times a year.
To sign up or manage your email subscription preferences, I encourage you to visit our Business Services Portal at sos.ri.gov/divisions/Business-Portal and click on the link “Email subscription service.”
Whether you are a new entrepreneur or an established small business, the Department of State’s Business Services Division is here to help. You can reach us by calling (401) 222-3040, emailing us at corporations@sos.ri.gov or visiting our office at 148 West River Street.
A Message From Gina M. Raimondo: Early Childhood Education
by Governor Gina M. Raimondo
I spend a lot of my time talking to CEOs and business owners from other states, trying to convince them to come to Rhode Island. We talk about the corporate income tax and economic development incentives, but inevitably, they also want to know about the quality of life in our state. They ask: “What’s it like to be a Rhode Islander? How are the schools? If I move my family to Glocester, or Bristol, or Hopkinton, what will our lives be like?”
That’s one of the many reasons that improving education is a key priority for my administration. Businesses need to know they can grow in our state- they can stay here for a long time and access a big, local pool of skilled workers for generations.
My team and I have been working hard to make sure that education in Rhode Island gives our kids the skills they need for jobs that pay. Earlier this year, I unveiled a plan to offer computer science in all public schools by December 2017. And we’re continuing to offer college classes to high school students through the Prepare RI program. But we can do more.
It’s never too early to give our youngest learners opportunities to thrive. I’ll never forget how much my own kids flourished because of preschool and full-day kindergarten. And as Governor, I believe that every Rhode Island kid deserves these same opportunities.
In April, I hosted the Governor’s Summit on Early Education and Care to talk about how we can better prepare our youngest learners. I brought together leaders from state government, education and the non-profit sector and presented my vision for our kids’ future.
Last year, my budget made all-day kindergarten universal across our state. This year, I proposed to boost funding for pre-kindergarten options by $1.2 million to keep the momentum going. With a total investment of $5.2 million would allow the Rhode Island Department of Education to add 12 sites this fall to the Rhode Island pre-kindergarten program, bringing the total number of sites to 29 and making the 2016-17 pre-kindergarten program the largest ever.
Early education is effective in ensuring that students achieve one of the most important developmental milestones: learning to read. Once students learn to read by the end of 3rd grade, they can start using reading to learn in other subjects, like math and science. And according to KIDS COUNT, they are less likely to have behavioral and social problems and more likely to graduate from high school.
Early education matters, and not just for students or parents. Kids who are learning to read today will one day become part of the workforce. We can either pay now or pay later- we must invest in our kids early to save later. If Rhode Island wants to be competitive and create a large pool of skilled workers for years to come, we must invest in early education now.
State and City of Providence Leaders To Celebrate Groundbreaking at Community Preparatory School
PROVIDENCE, RI – Community Preparatory School will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 4,500 square foot facility and campus expansion on Friday, June10. The $5 million project is part of Community Prep School’s REACH! Comprehensive Campaign. The new building will include a first floor addition with formal entrance, reception area, administrative offices, student workspace, classroom and community room. Renovations to the existing school building are also included in the project along with the creation of a recreational field that will serve Community Prep, the SouthSide Elementary Charter School, and the neighboring community at large.
State, city and local business leaders join in the celebration marking the start of construction. Mayor Jorge Elorza and Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, who has been instrumental in launching the school’s decades-long dream of having a campus in South Providence, are among those scheduled to speak.
The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on the construction site at the school, located at 126 Somerset Street. Parking will be available.
About Community Preparatory School
Since 1984, Community Preparatory School has given motivated students in grades three through eight the opportunity to reach their dreams, regardless of family income.
Located in South Providence, the independent middle school fosters academic excellence in an economically and culturally diverse student body. Community Prep students score higher on standardized tests than every school district in the state. Its eighth graders are accepted to Classical High School at three times the citywide rate, and 97% go on to college preparatory high school programs. 94% of all students receive substantial financial aid. Current enrollment is 162 students. Visit www. communityprep.org for more info.
