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Outpouring of support buoys sailors' families
By Rick McGowan/Daily News staff
newportdailynews.com NEWPORT - Rhode Island's state motto is "Hope."It also fit "Keeping the Faith for Flying Colours," the benefit held Friday night at Newport Shipyard to support the safe return of the crew of the missing 54-foot sailboat.Trey Topping, Jason Franks, Christine Grinavic and Rhiannon Borisoff have been missing off the coast of North Carolina since May 7. "It's wonderful, the support we're getting from so many people all over the world," said Mary Grinavic, mother of Christine. She said she and her husband Jim are not sailors. "Christine's loving this life and she's had adventures and she's strong and has a great spirit and a positive attitude," Grinavic said. "And that's what she'd want us to have." The huge, upbeat crowd helped boost the Grinavics' spirits. "I thought the weather would hold back the crowd, but there are a lot of people that are really sincere here," Jim Grinavic said. About 30 of them came from Massachusetts. "I'm a principal of an elementary school in Walpole," Mary Grinavic said. "My kids made the 'Hope' buttons and candles." Many in the crowd wore the buttons, a lot of them on "Keep the Faith for Colours" T-shirts. Trey Topping's parents, Pat and Shirley Topping, traveled to Newport from Macon, Ga. "We're doing great, doing wonderful, to come here and see all of Trey's friends and our friends because we have family up here," Pat Topping said. "That's how Trey got up here. His aunt (Margaret Palmer) lives up here, and some transplanted southerners are up here, too." The Toppings are impressed with how positive everyone they've met in Newport is. "We can say that we're really positive and know they're going to make it, but they're our kids," Pat Topping said. "Now there are sailors who know this, or know people who have been through this, and they know people survive these events. "That's given us even more and more optimism." "It's really positive for everybody," Shirley Topping said about the benefit. Carol Dale, Franks' mother, lives in North Kingstown and played a key role in the benefit. "I call the families every day because I'm local and tell them what's going on," she said. "It's the only way I can deal with it." In addition to a band and clusters of yellow balloons, a Coast Guard cutter brought in several personnel in uniform. Dale said she believes the missing sailors "are out there somewhere ... All these kids go out every year and do the same thing, so it's support for the whole community, really." Garyn Whatmough is the uncle of Borisoff, who lives with him on Thames Street. "Everybody in the yachting community has given real good support," he said. "That's helped out a lot. "You realize how small this city is when something like this happens. It's amazing. Everyone really comes together." He and Borisoff's parents encouraged her to work on the ocean, he said. "In her heart, that's what she wants to do," Whatmough said. "She wanted to do this (passage). "She asked everyone. (We said) be cautious, be careful, be smart. She's with very good people." Lynne Borisoff described her daughter Rhiannon as "kind and generous and sweet," and said she was heartened by the large crowd. "I'm happy so many people have shown up," she said. "It's a positive, them being here." A female vocalist sang "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac. "I made the request," Borisoff said. "We named her after the song." |
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