Rhode Island Chapter Set for 24th Annual Banquet

The NFF Emo DiNitto/Rhode Island Chapter will hold its 24th Annual Awards Dinner Monday, May 2, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, Rhode Island. Twenty-two outstanding scholar-athletes will be honored while three special awards will be presented. The festivities will begin at 7:00 pm.

William Gilbane, Jr., president and chief operating officer of Gilbane Building Company, will claim the chapter's Distinguished American Award. One of the nation's largest construction firms with 31 offices across the country, Gilbane projects include the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., the Green Airport in Rhode Island and other landmark structures across the country.

Charley Gibbons, who earned outstanding Little All-America honors at the University of Rhode Island and coached at Rogers High School for more than three decades, will receive the Contribution to Amateur Football Award.

Philip "Bob" Caito will receive the Special Football Officials Award for his many years of service to Rhode Island High School Football Program.

Launched 24 years ago, the chapter has honored more than 600 recipients and awarded over $135,000 in scholarships.

The 2011 Rhode Island Golden-Dozen Scholar-Athletes

Andrade, Dana - East Providence
Charette, Jessie - Woonsocket
Cole, Christopher - Chariho
Ferreira, Ethan - Bishop Hendricken
Furtado, Zachary - Toll Gate
Holtzman, Eric - North Kingston
McCray, Rico - Middletown
McDermott, Michael - Lasalle Academy
McGrath, Edward - Cranston East
Minogue, Michael - Mt. Pleasant
Morral, Dennis - Portsmouth
Nadeau, Cody - Cranston West

The 2011 Rhode Island Silver Scholar-Athletes

DePina, Zachary - Shea
Doucette, Richard - Westerly
Felkel, Nathan - Coventry
Georgio, Alfred - Ex./West Greenwich
Hill, Jeffrey - Barrington
Lucena, Michael - Cumberland
McMahon, Sean - St. Raphael Academy
Pacheco, John - Burrillville
Reynoso, Gustavo - Classical
Woods, Nathan - Warwick Veterans