Thundermist marks 50th
Thundermist Health Center celebrates 50th anniversary at benefit gala; $20K raised for community health programs
PROVIDENCE Thundermist Health Center celebrated their 50th anniversary in style last Thursday night with a gala at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center where they honored their past, and raised $20,000 to fund ongoing programs and future endeavors at their Woonsocket, West Warwick and Wakefield locations.
“Thundermist had a vision that began 50 years ago that all people, no matter what, have access to the life-saving care that they need,” Thundermist President and CEO Jeanne LaChance told the crowd of board members, staff members, patients and others at gala. “Your generosity and love for your communities and neighbors in need helps make this possible.”
The glitz and glamor of the evening was a far cry from their beginning in a Woonsocket apartment as a women’s health center before expanding into an all-encompassing health center with locations in West Warwick and Wakefield when the Health Center of South County merged with them in 2002.
“The healthcare center that we have grown into during the last 50 years just continues to amaze me,” LaChance said. “Tonight is a celebration of those 50 years, but tonight we are also here to raise funds to support programs like food pantries that feed our hungry families, treatment for substance abuse, psychiatric service for kids, opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and ensuring that new families get a healthy start.”
The gala was sponsored by a collection of health care companies from around the state, namely CVS and Neighorhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, the latter of which Thundermist had a role in founding 25 years ago, as Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island CEO Peter Marino said.
“Twenty-five years ago Thundermist and its other partners in the community got together and formed Neighborhood Health Plan, so we’re also celebrating our 25 years of service and we could not do it without the exceptional work of Thundermist,” Marino said, thanking LaChance and Thundermist.
Thundermist Chief Medical Director Dr. David Bourassa told the story of Thundermist’s origin and of it’s founding chief medical director, Dr. Francesco Cannistra.
“Fifty years ago, Dr. Francesco Cannistra and a group of individuals who cared deeply for the Woonsocket community had a vision,” Bourassa said. “Their vision was a place where access to healthcare had no barriers. I’ve seen that vision made manifest over the last 22 years on a nearly daily basis.”
Bourassa announced Thundermist was dedicating their community center room in Woonsocket in Dr. Cannistra’s honor, presenting a plaque with his daughter and current Thundermist Board of Directors Secretary Linda Cannistra and his wife, Mary Cannistra, who volunteered with Thundermist for 30 years.
“My family and I are very honored that Thundermist has chosen to dedicate the community room in memory of my father and his work,” Linda Cannistra said. “It is both humbling and gratifying to see how all of the people at Thundermist have taken the vision of a few to serve so many.”
“Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for giving my husband this wonderful honor, Mary Cannistra said. “He was a very strong and courageous man who always thought about others before himself. If he were here today, he would be very moved that you are remembering him in this way.”
Linda Cannistra recalled memories of her father coming home from a long day at his office, eating a quick dinner and then heading out to Thundermist.
“I remember my mom saying to him ‘Franco, do you have to go out again tonight?,’and he would say to her ‘Mary, there has to be a place for these women to go,’ and off he went,” Linda Cannistra said, crediting those moments with developing her and her family’s sense of the value of giving back to the community.
The guests also heard the testimony of Thundermist patient Denise Blake of Woonsocket, who said the health center helped her out as a single mother a decade before battling with anxiety and bipolar depression, calling primary care Dr. Jessica Douglas her “angel” and crediting Thundermist with giving her confidence and self-esteem and helping her feel like herself again.
“I can say with a full heart that Thundermist has changed my life,” Blake said. “Because of you I have gained confidence. I am a better mom, sister, daughter and friend. I get everything I need all in one place. I am grateful for the care I receive.”
Blake said that through assisting her with things such as providing her rides to medical appointments and counseling that Thundermist has become a “second family” to her and thanked all who donated to the center and the entire staff.
Following speeches, the donation portion of the evening began, organized by professional benefit auctioneer Cathy MacPherson.
Donations were made by raising bid cards for pledges at the $1,500, $1,000 level, $500 level, $250 level and $100 level for prenatal care, health and community resources for transgender people, psychiatric resources for youth, resources for fighting the opioid crisis and substance abuse disorders and access to food for families in need respectively.
The organization raised a combined $19,450 before another donor stepped forward to pledge $550 to bring them to $20,000.
Following the donation portion, dinner and drinks were served and the dance floor opened.
For LaChance, the evening was a great success. “It’s been excellent,” she said. “So many of our friends and patients and past members of the board have been here and they’re all here for the right reason.”
LaChance was grateful for the contribution of donors as well as being able to honor the legacy of Francesco Cannistra and the work of both him and his family over the past 50 years.
“(The Cannistras) are dedicated to the healthcare of the communities and we’re just living out that dream,” LaChance said.