Ride for Justice Sept. 27 to benefit Petit Family Foundation
Posted on Aug 26, 2015
by Brian Johnson
BRISTOL — The sixth annual Ride for Justice begins at St. Paul Catholic High School Sept. 27. Proceeds will help the Petit Family Foundation support young women in the sciences, violence prevention and those suffering from chronic illnesses.
Kickstands go up at 11:30 a.m. as riders depart from the school at 1001 Stafford Ave. Riders will follow a scenic back-roads route through Bristol, Burlington, Hawinton, Terryville, Wolcott and Plantsville before arriving at Bozzuto’s Food Distribution Center at 275 Schoolhouse Road in Cheshire. There, participants will be treated to a family-style barbecue catered by Outback Steakhouse. Local rock band “Face 4 Radio” will entertain as riders prepare to depart from St. Paul Catholic High School and dance band “The Happening” will play at Bozzuto’s.
Ron Catucci, chairman of the Ride for Justice, said that he had been participating in several charitable rides when news struck of the murders of Dr. William Petit’s wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, and his daughters Michaela and Hayley. He said he felt the need to lend a hand to the Petit Foundation.
“I felt The Ride for Justice would be a good way to get a lot of people to help raise money for the Foundation,” he said. Catucci said he expects to see a high turnout of Petit supporters after the state Supreme Court recently ruled against the death penalty. As a result of the decision, the men responsible for the Petit murders, Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, will spend their lives behind bars. Catucci encouraged people to come out and have a good time for a good cause.
“It’s a fun day for the whole family,” he said. “People line the streets like there is a parade to watch the motorcycles drive by. I want to thank the people who participate and sponsor this event every year, without whom the ride would not be possible.”
The ride is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse, Trantolo & Trantolo, Yankee Harley-Davidson Motorcycles and Bozzuto’s Inc.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. the day of the event and is $30 for riders, $20 for passengers or $10 for those who just walk in to Bozzuto’s.
Those who pre-register before Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. for a discounted price of $25 as a rider or $15 as a passenger. For more information, call Ron Catucci at 860-605-6256 or email info@rideforjustice.org. To pre-register online, visit ride4justice.org.