
The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau – in collaboration with the Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and the Frog & Toad gift shop in Providence – raised $7,000 for the RI Hospitality Employee Relief Fund, which gives financial assistance to workers hard-hit by job losses or shutdowns in the bar and food service, lodging and tourism industries. During the “Buy Local RI” T-shirt fundraiser, Frog & Toad gift shop printed and sold T-shirts featuring three renditions of the “Buy Local RI” logo, each of which are still available for sale: the original Buy Local RI brand design and two newly created designs by local artists, Maret Bondorew and Michael Ezzell. The Buy Local RI project donates 25% of each shirt sold to the employee relief fund. The first phase of the campaign, which began in the spring, raised $3,500, which was then matched by the Rhode Island Foundation for a total amount of $7,000. The organizations brought together representatives and the media for the celebration on May 26 at the Providence Marriott Downtown.
- Neil D. Steinberg, President and CEO, Rhode Island Foundation; Asher Schofield, Co-owner, Frog & Toad; Kristen Adamo, President and CEO, Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Dale Venturini, President and CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality Association.
- The three versions of the Buy Local RI T-shirts are available through Frog & Toad’s website, with 25% of the proceeds from each shirt donated to the RI Hospitality Employee Relief Fund.
- Guests enjoyed celebratory cake featuring the original Buy Local RI logo.