The rather unique two-sided invitation featured a red fireworks explosion, white stars on a dark blue card and read: “Donna is 60! Let’s party!” Even the flip-side featured a photo surrounded by those same red explosion-like lines and a photo with the words “Fabulous at 60!”

Perhaps that invitation was a sneak preview of what 125 guests actually witnessed last Friday night with a backdrop of red, white and blue for what people called “The birthday bash of the year” which was more of a special salute to veterans rather than Donna Folcarelli’s 60th birthday party. “I can’t ever remember this place ever being so festive and patriot,” said Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena inside the Santa Maria Di Prata Society hall in Cranston. “This is unbelievable.”