Providence Journal photo
Heather Abbott, Newport, is escorted into Rosecliff Mansion, Newport, by two friends Mick Henn, of Conn., left, and Jason Geremia, of Newport.
NEWPORT, R.I. -- Heather Abbott came home from the hospital last week, so a few of her friends got together really quick and figured they'd throw a bit of a party for her.
They wound up packing the ballroom of the 101-year-old Rosecliff mansion Sunday with a fully catered affair that drew not only Newport residents but also many of Rhode Island's top state and federal elected officials, including both U.S. senators and Governor Chafee.
Abbott stood with the aid of crutches for the first half hour after she arrived, greeting well-wisher after well-wisher with her trademark beaming smile and a hug or kiss on the cheek.
The party was a fundraiser to help Abbott and her family cope with the costs they will be facing as she recovers from injuries she received in the April 15 bombing at the Boston Marathon.