Firefighter's pig roast brings home the bacon

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COUTU’S CORNER: Johnston Firefighter Gene Coutu (center), who organized Saturday’s highly-successful Pig Roast Fundraiser, is joined by JFD Chief Tim McLaughlin, Tom Paolantonio owner of Bishop Hill Tavern, Local 1950 Executive Board members John Jasparro and Keith Calci during the event. (Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine)

SPECIAL STAFF: Local 1950 members Firefighters Mike Calise and Lt. David Calabro enjoy a lighter moment while purchasing tickets for Saturday’s special Pig Roast from Reilly Walker, Aaron Coutu, Loreen Soulliere and Wendy Coutu.

Bishop Hill Tavern Chef O.B. offers a look inside the huge oven he used to cook a huge pig for Saturday’s special Johnston Firefighters Local 1950 fund-raising event.

The Johnston Association of Firefighters Local 1950 put more than its best foot forward Saturday afternoon at Bishop Hill Tavern off Route 6.

In fact, Local 1950 now have another extraordinary event to add to its ongoing record of nearly unmatched charitable giving.

It was only a few months ago when veteran Fire Firefighter Gene Coutu approached the Local 1950 Executive Board, where he explained how the event would have a two-fold purpose.

For starters, Coutu said that he felt it would get members, retirees and friends of Local 1950 together in a special social setting and raise some money for the Johnston Association of Firefighters Local 1950 Charitable Fund.

Coutu’s idea, which was an old-fashioned Pig Roast replete with a mega-prize raffle, worked to more than perfection.

Although the exact figures weren’t announced, many past and present JFD Fire Fighters, including veteran Chief Timothy McLaughlin, turned out at Bishop Hill Tavern for what many people called “an event extraordinaire.”

“This is a great place,” McLaughlin said while walking around Bishop Hill Tavern, which was once known as Campanini’s Restaurant and Lounge. “I have been to a lot of fund-raising events but I’ve never seen so many raffle prizes like that are on these tables here today.”

The day’s lot included everything from New England Patriots game tickets to an old fashioned copper fire extinguisher that Coutu personally refurbished, to gift certificates for restaurants, food and liquors baskets and much more.

Many of the day’s raffle prizes were donated by local businesses as a tribute to what Local 1950 does throughout the year in donating thousands of dollars to a host of charities as well as sponsoring community events throughout the year.

As Local 1950 President Keith Calci and Vice President Jon Pistacchio noted, the organization sponsors many youth sports teams in the Johnston throughout the year.

“Gene and his wife Wendy and children Ashley and Aaron helped organize and run this great event,” both Calci and Pistacchio wanted it known.

Coutu, meanwhile, said, “On behalf of my family, as well as the leadership of Local 1950, we sincerely thank each and every local business that donated a raffle prize. They really stepped up to help make this event a super success and helped us build this very important [charity] fund.”

Local 1950’s Charity Fund is perhaps one of Rhode Island’s best known non-profits that help people of all walks of life in a variety of ways.

“We also want to thank Thomas Paolantonio for hosting this fund-raiser,” Coutu said while shaking hands with the popular Bishop Hill Tavern owner. “Also hats off to Chef O.B. for preparing and serving a great, great meal.”