HELPING ONE OF THEIR OWN
By Matt Sheley
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (FEBRUARY 5, 2021) – When they heard the story of AJ Quetta, they knew they had to do something to help.
The account of the Bishop Feehan High School hockey player suffering a serious neck injury in Massachusetts while participating in the game he loves struck close to home.
In response, players with the Rogers/Middletown/Rocky Hill co-op hockey team partnered with the Middletown Police Department and Plumby’s Restaurant to raise money for Quetta’s family.
The group is holding a “Drive Thru Donation” event Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 4-5 p.m. from the Plumby’s parking lot at 499 East Main Road across from Frosty Freez ice cream parlor. There, teammates will be collecting donations in a RMR hockey bag, with the goal of filling the entire sack with cash and checks to the AJ Quetta family.
“Hockey truly is a unique sport,” said Camille Guerin, one of the event organizers, a hockey
mom and first grade teacher at Forest Avenue School. “Anyone who has ever been on a
team know what it means when you mention the ‘hockey family.’ Very close, very intense and will always step up for each other. The comradery is like no other.”
A close-knit town of about 16,000 residents, Middletown is known for drawing together even tighter together to help those in need -- even if they’re not “locals.”
Over the past two decades plus, there’s story after story of how the community pulled together to lend a hand, whether it’s after a catastrophic fire, medical issue or just a family that could use a little help.
Guerin said Middletown Police and Plumby’s were immediately on board with the idea of the drive thru event, offering to assist in any way possible.
At Tuesday’s event, RMR teammates will be on hand in uniform to rally for Quetta during the masked, socially distanced event. Organizers said any help is appreciated and goes a long way to aiding the Quetta family, who live in North Providence.