Being active in the local community has always been a priority for us at the Brick Alley Pub. Since our start in 1980, we have dedicated ourselves to supporting our Newport neighbors. From sponsoring Little League Teams to organizing Blood and Food Drives, the Brick Alley Pub’s involvement continues to grow. Below are just a few of our ongoing initiatives:
The Mary Gomes Memorial Foundation
Since the early 1990s, the Brick Alley Pub has run what is now known as The Mary Gomes Memorial Foundation. At the age of 16, Mary Gomes started her illustrious career at Brick Alley. Mary’s passion for what she did allowed her to quickly earn her way to the title of Dining Room Manager. Over the course of a few short years, Mary had become the Brick Alley philosophy personified: family, friendly, and hard working with an obsessive attention to detail.
It was at this time that Mary was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.
Like many people with a pre-existing condition, Mary was without health insurance. In an effort to help, the Brick Alley family designed and created The Mary Gomes Foundation to help Mary with the overwhelming task of keeping up with her mounting medical bills. Our first event was “Mary Day”: Pat and Ralph Plumb donated every penny spent at the restaurant, the kitchen staff donated their pay, and all tipped employees donated all of their earnings to help Mary in her fight. The spirit of the day was incredible and is still held dear today by those who were a part of it. In addition to Mary Day, the Foundation also organized a golf tournament. Mary would continue to fight but the onset of cancer ultimately claimed her life. The tournament is an opportunity for the community to get together and celebrate Mary, serving to remind us of her famous smile and generous spirit.
The Mary Gomes Foundation is run 100% by volunteers. That means that every dollar raised goes to help those who need it. If you would like information on how to volunteer, make a donation, or how to register to play in The Mary Gomes Memorial Golf Tournament please contact Mr. Tom Desmond at 401.849.6334 or via email at contact@brickalley.com .
Team BAP
Team Brick Alley at our Easton's Beach Litter Pick up
In the 1980s, Ralph Plumb, Jr. created an initiative to help ‘Keep Newport Clean.’ Brick Alley Pub employees would walk up and down our block on Thames St., sweeping up and cleaning the sidewalks and street to help make sure we were doing our part to keep our neighborhood clean. Building on this concept, we have taken the ‘clean’ beyond just Thames St., helping out wherever we can throughout all of Newport.
The philosophy behind Team BAP is simple: there are so many little things that can be done here in our own backyard of Newport which, when added up, have a significant impact on the overall community. Whether meeting up at the local food bank or taking some time to help keep our own Newport beaches clean, Team BAP provides our community a chance to get together and have some fun – all while doing some good!
Team BAP events are open to everyone – Brick Alley employees and customers alike. All first time participants receive official Team BAP t-shirts as well as being entered into a Gift Card drawing. To stay up to date on where and when TeamBAP events are taking place, be sure to follow our Brick Blog, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Twitter!