Poker and roast for charity

March 09, 2006 - STAMFORD, Vt. — Friends and family of a local man who died of lung cancer last year plan to hold a snowmobile poker run, pig roast and more to honor him on Saturday.
Thomas "Bruiser" Grande died Dec. 12, 2005, at the age of 45. Money raised from the all-day event — to be held off Blackstone Road in Florida, Mass. — will go toward $1,000 college scholarships for Charles H. McCann Technical School students.

Grande's friend, Wayne J. Righi of Readsboro, said Grande enjoyed riding on snowmobiles, four-wheelers and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. A former student in machine technology at the North Adams technical school, Grande went on to work at R.I. Baker Co. in Clarksburg, becoming a vice president.

In addition to the scholarship, Grande's family plans to donate food baskets in his memory to the needy during the holiday season. They also would like to sponsor a youth basketball team.

"They feel helping the community is the best way this money should be spent," Righi said.

Already, more than $8,000 has been raised through private donations. The scholarship recipient need not be at the top of his or her class, said Righi.

"They're going to go through and see who really needs and deserves it," he said. "He could be a C student and he wants to go on. Tommy wasn't an A student and he went from there to vice president of a big company."

Righi also hopes to draw attention to the dangers of smoking.

"I want people to know that smoking isn't a good thing," he said. "I know it hooks a lot

of people. If you can't or you won't stop smoking, at least go every year and get a chest X-ray or a complete physical because Tommy, for three years, complained that he had a backache and his leg was bothering him."

As it turned out, his lung cancer had metastasized to those parts of his body. Once the cancer was discovered, it was too late to treat, said Righi.

For the poker run, the person who gets the best hand of five playing cards at the end will share part of the funds donated to the event. A $10 donation is suggested.

Righi and another of Grande's friends, John Owensby of Clarksburg, are organizing the event, which also includes a tent, games, a bonfire, a live band, raffles and other food in addition to the pig roast. The poker run registration is from 8 to 10 a.m. The event will run throughout the day.

To get to the event, take Route 2 east to Florida, turn left at the fire station onto Tilda Hill Road and drive one mile before turning left on Blackstone Road. The benefit will be held on the left in a large, open field.

The event is scheduled to proceed regardless of the weather, but snowmobiling may be ruled out. Snowmobilers have been asked to contact organizers to find out the status. For more information, (413) 662-2557 or (413) 652-2500.