The City of Pawtucket approached me about Ron St. Pierre, a recent inductee into the Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame. I am a well-known advocate for the arts in Pawtucket, and as Pawtucket is Ron St. Pierre’s hometown, the city thought it would be a meaningful gesture to provide Ron with a gift that reflected his roots.

The outpour of support from local business was truly remarkable and I was presented with the task of creatively organizing all of these wonderful gifts. This is how I came up with the idea to create “The Passport to Pawtucket”. Using an antique suitcase from the wonderful Rhode Island Antique Mall I set about organizing all of the generous contributions provided by our local community.

I organized the gifts into three main categories; activities, food and presents. The suitcase was literally brimming with good will and Rhode Island favorites ranging coffee syrup to theater tickets. The PAWSOX generously donated tickets, an official Pawtucket Red Sox Jacket and baseball. To name a few, Ron St. Pierre will be busy dining this year with at delicious eateries around the city, Rasoi and LJ’s Barbeque. Ahlers Designs gave him a Rhode Island Sailboat business card case and a leather luggage tag to match.

The gift was received with grace and I had the pleasure of speaking with Ron St. Pierre himself, the morning after it was presented. His phone call reminded me why I make my living with my gift collection and custom designs. Giving gifts that matter is not just a slogan to me, it is a way of leading my life. Showing appreciation and sharing thankfulness is a vital part being in a community.