Gill Foundation celebrates milestone at 9th Annual Bike Run

After days and weeks of rainy weather, the skies cleared and Sunday dawned sunny and warm, the perfect weather for the PS3 Ronald A. Gill Jr. Memorial Scholarship Foundation's 9th annual motorcycle run. Hundreds of motorcycles lined up for the run, which kicked off outside Cranston High School West, where Gill was once a student. Police from Cranston, Bristol and North Providence were there to provide an escort, as they do each year. Prior to kickstands going up, a ceremony was held outside the school, and the news was shared that this year's run was extra-special, given that due to the response to this event, the foundation had officially surpassed the quarter of a million dollar milestone, scholarship money which is presented each year to students heading off to college from all over southern New England, from Cranston, and recently, from across the country.

It was an emotional Ron Gill, Sr., who presented the news of the latest goal having been achieved.

"If you had told me in March of that first year that these kinds of numbers would be rolling off my tongue, I'd have never believed you," Gill said. "This money comes in because of the generosity of people like you, and it's in fives and tens and ones. It all adds up and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

This year, special recognition awards were given out to the participating police departments, thanking them for the donation of their time each year, escorting and protecting the riders on the 100-mile round-trip ride to the Veteran's Cemetery in Exeter for a graveside service, and back to the Cranston Country Club for the celebratory dinner and raffle.

At this year's dinner, Cranston West's Deana Barlow received a special recognition award for her fundraising efforts and continued support. This year she reached the $15,000 mark, having sponsored a citywide dress-down day each year for the Foundation. Barlow was one of Gill's teachers during his time at West and has been involved in the Foundation each year.

Mayor Allan Fung delivered greetings from the City of Cranston, as he does at each of the Gill Foundation events. "I am very proud to be here today on behalf of all Cranstonians," Mayor Fung said. "Ronnie gave his life in service to our country, and he gave the ultimate sacrifice that anyone could give. The Gill Foundation has raised money dollar by dollar, for years now, not just at the motorcycle ride but at many other events throughout the year, chipping away at the cost of college for our youth. Their family's story is a great story to tell. They are preserving Ronnie's legacy for years to come."

US Veteran's Motorcycle Club's Joe Lynch provided a blessing for the ride before kickstands went up, reminding all of the sacrifices made by Gill and those like him, and asking for protection as the ride began.

"This is truly a blessed day," he said. "The best way we can do honor to Ronnie is to ride with the sun in our face, the wind in our face, and with Ronnie on our shoulder." He asked those who knew Ronnie, and even those who did not know him, to keep his memory alive.

"All gave some, and some gave all," Lynch said.