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On Saturday, May 6, before the start of the spring cornhole tournament, which benefits children battling cancer, Gilliland Foundation CEO Steve Gilliland honored Lucas David Chica, a 3-year-old child who lost his fight against cancer on March 12 at Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem.

Gilliland introduced Lucas’s mother, Destiny, who thanked everyone for supporting the tournament and helping build a playset for Lucas and his family this past November.

An emotional Gilliland reminded everyone why they were there.

“Today is about more than cornhole. It’s about making the world a better place and making a difference. While our memories were short with Lucas, we are grateful to have met this inspiring, beautiful, courageous, and extraordinary child.”

It was a beautiful day at RayLen Vineyards & Winery, which partners with the Gilliland Foundation to host a double-elimination spring and fall tournaments.

The tournament was won by the father-son team of Roy Huss and Troy Huss, with Tim Potts and Damon Landreth finishing second and Junior Candido and Erubiel Castro finishing third.

Tin Can Alley provided the music, food trucks were on site, of course there was the award-winning RayLen wine, and a silent auction that featured Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers club seat tickets in Tampa Bay, Fla.

“The passing of Lucas makes us more determined than ever to bring hope to children and their families fighting pediatric cancer. We will continue to build playsets to see the joy on the children’s faces when they see their playsets for the first time,” Gilliland said.

The next playset build is scheduled for Saturday, July 22 for a child being treated for cancer at Brenner Children’s Hospital.

The fall cornhole tournament will be Saturday, Oct. 7. Registration is open:  https://gillilandfoundation.org/cornhole/.