Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island’s Inaugural Big Breakfast Fundraiser Recognizes Community Leaders from around the State Supporting Mentorship and Raises $113K!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BBBSRI) hosted its first annual Big Breakfast fundraiser on Thursday, October 10 at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. Over 350 guests attended, raising more than $113,000 to support BBBSRI's mission. The funds will help provide mentorship to over 250 young people and deliver case-management services, career exploration, emergency assistance, enrichment activities, and other wrap-around services to more than 950 Rhode Islanders.

Tiffany Murphy, an Emmy and Associated Press award-winning journalist, served as the Master of Ceremonies. Tiffany has been a great supporter of the mission, continuously helping to raise awareness about the importance of mentorship and cloth donations. Ted Turnbull, BBBSRI Board Member and founder of the Big Adventure Initiative, acted as the Honorary Chairperson. The Big Adventure program, which offers skiing lessons to youth, has provided life-changing experiences to over 60 young people and raised more than $30,000.

"Mentoring is the process of bringing two people together who have no attachment to one another and creating a deeply meaningful relationship—a relationship that impacts them, the people around them, and our society at large,” said BBBSRI CEO Katje Afonseca. Throughout the event, attendees were reminded of the urgent need for male mentors, with over 350 boys currently on BBBSRI’s waitlist. "The number of people in this room is the same as the number of boys waiting for mentors," Afonseca noted, emphasizing the profound impact that volunteers can have. Tiffany Murphy and Ted Turnbull also echoed the call, encouraging attendees to step forward and make a difference in a young person’s life.

During the program, four individuals were honored for their dedication to empowering youth:

Amy Perrino received the C. Paul Oberg Award for Mission Advancement for her support of BBBSRI programs through her leadership at Amgen. Her efforts have expanded opportunities for youth in STEM education via the Beyond School Walls program and helped inspire new and impactful programs. "I'm immensely honored to be recognized by Big Brothers Big Sisters," said Perrino. "The mission to foster meaningful, long-term mentoring relationships is something I’m passionate about, and I’m proud to support such an important endeavor."

Rhonda Lapham was presented with the Lynne Camillo Award for Volunteerism for her commitment to BBBSRI as a Board Member, Ambassador, and volunteer. Her efforts in promoting mentorship, coordinating clothing drives, and facilitating partnerships have had a significant impact. “To be recognized by Big Brothers Big Sisters is a great honor,” said Lapham. “This organization does so much for our community, and I’m humbled to be a part of its mission to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.”

Richard Staples was honored with the Bonney B. Sevellon Award for Creative Impact. Richard launched neighborhood clothing drives that have collected nearly 4,000 pounds of textiles since 2022, His initiatives have supported the Donation Center’s sustainability efforts and built community connections. "The collections we’ve done are truly a neighborhood effort," Staples remarked. "Neighbors have been incredibly responsive, and it's been a great run so far—we plan to do much more."

Michael Sabitoni received the Brendan Kane Award for Philanthropic Leadership, for his 16 years of leadership in organizing the Big Walk (now PVD Walk), raising over $100,000, and supporting events like the P-Bruins Union Night. “I couldn’t be prouder to receive this honor,” said Sabitoni. “The Rhode Island Building and Trades adopted BBBSRI as our charity of choice, and it’s been a rewarding journey making a positive impact on young people’s lives.”

BBBSRI extends their gratitude to all sponsors, donors, supporters, and attendees for their generosity and making the event a success. A special thanks to André Herrera, Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs from Congressman Amo’s office for attending and presenting citations to each honoree. The Big Breakfast marked a powerful moment for BBBSRI, drawing the community together to advance the organization’s mission and to continue the impactful work of mentoring Rhode Island’s youth.

BBBSRI creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, making a donation to support our program, organizing a clothing drive or fundraiser for your school or group, or learning more about our initiatives, please visit www.BigsRI.org, call (401) 921-2434, or email events@BigsRI.org.