The 13th annual PS3 Ron Gill Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament took place on Saturday, July 20, and despite the record heat, the event was sold out.

Participants braved the soaring temperatures for the golf event and evening dinner, which included raffles and prizes, including the much-anticipated raffle for a pair of Southwest Airlines tickets.

The golf tournament included a $10,000 putting contest and a $10,000 hole-in-one contest, as well as a potential giveaway of a 2019 Honda Accord donated by Herb Chambers.

In addition to the usual Shaw’s food donations for the luncheon prior to the tournament, 900 bottles of water were donated due to the forecast.

As has been the tradition for more than a decade, the event was held at the Cranston Country Club. It took place the day before what would have been Ron Gill Jr.’s 39th birthday.

The event benefited the PS3 Ronald A. Gill Jr. Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which recently reached a $300,000 milestone and has given out college scholarships to more than 285 students so far.

Cranston Country Club’s Tom Palmer welcomed all to the event and introduced the Gill family and Mayor Allan Fung.

The mayor brought greetings from the city and was a tournament participant this year as well.

“I’m very proud to be here once again on this very hot day. On behalf of all the residents of Cranston and the Gill family, we appreciate all of your support year after year,” he told those in attendance.

Fung also thanked to the Cranston Country Club for hosting the event each year, and he emphasized the legacy that the Gill Foundation has created by providing scholarships year after year for students to attend college.

“The foundation provides so much support to so many students to be able to attend college,” he said. “More importantly, it helps to keep the memory of Ronnie alive. He was one of our own who gave up his life, gave the ultimate sacrifice, gave so much.”

Ron Gill Sr. spoke on behalf of the Gill family and the foundation, thanking all the participants for coming despite the intense weather. He also thanked all who donated goods and services for the event.

“I wish this would be easier instead of more difficult each year,” he said. “Tomorrow would be Ronnie’s 39th birthday, and we miss him more every day. We do this for him. We do it to make sure Gracie knows her dad and to make sure A’driana knows her uncle. We keep this foundation going, and we have exceeded $300,000 and 285 students, which is amazing. I never thought I’d be saying these numbers.”

Gill Foundation events and information can be found on the foundation’s website and on social media. For more information, visit rongilljr.org.