GEP3 Scholarship Foundation benefits from golf outing

The sun may not have been shining, but the rain held off Monday to ensure the second annual Glenn Edward Porter III Memorial Golf Outing at Nemacolin Country Club went off without a hitch.

Eric and Laurie Porter, along with their son Tyler, pose for a photo during the 2nd Glenn Edward Porter III Annual Memorial Golf Outing, held Monday at Nemacolin Country Club in Richeyville. The event featured two shotgun starts, memorial gifts, skilled prizes, and a scholarship recognition ceremony in honor of Glenn Edward Porter III.

Glenn, 20, was a son of Mon Valley and soon-to-be police officer when he was killed in an auto accident June 23, 2023. He had just graduated from the police academy and had accepted a full-time position with the California Borough Police Department, following in the footsteps of his father, Eric Porter, a former police chief and current municipal judge.

Last year, Glenn’s parents, Laurie and Eric, his younger brother, Tyler, and countless

family members and friends honored his life and legacy with the first-ever golf outing in his memory.

The event sold out with 40 teams of four stepping up to the tee, and it collected more than $29,000 in donations that were used to support The GEP3 Scholarship Foundation.

In their first year without Glenn, his family and friends were able to award six scholarships to area students who are interested in furthering their education or pursuing a career that helps others, like Glenn wanted to.

This year, the number of golfers nearly tripled and another $32,000 was raised to make sure the GEP3 Scholarship Foundation continues.

Instead of six scholarships totaling $8,000, the family will award eight scholarships this year totaling $14,000 to area students in his memory.

The foundation, established by his family, already awarded $500 scholarships to three graduating Charleroi Area seniors.

In total, five more $3,000 scholarships will be awarded this year to college students, many of who are entering or completed Act 120 certification with the police academy.

Despite a dreary day, Laurie Porter said the second annual golf outing could not have gone any better.

“We had two tee offs this year, and our community, the golfers, our friends and family, they are just rock stars,” she said. “There’s no better way to put it, and there’s no way to properly say thank you.”

Though the second anniversary of Glenn’s death is approaching, the family takes solace in knowing he has left a legacy and was loved so much that the foundation started in his honor has been able to help area teens.

“It’s not just keeping his memory alive, it’s helping other people, which is what he wanted to do,” Laurie Porter said. “Helping them has helped us, and knowing it is helping students who want to do what he wanted to do warms our heart.”

For more information on the GEPIII Foundation, upcoming fundraisers or events or to donate directly, go to gep3.org.

Glenn Porter’s brother, Tyler Porter, reunited with many of Glenn’s close friends from Charleroi Area High School to participate in the second annual Glenn Edward Porter III Memorial Golf Outing on Monday at Nemacolin Country Club in Richeyville. From left are Mike Lee, Ethan Flack, Tyler Porter, Mario Celaschi, Zachary Usher, Jesse Handra, Sam Iacovangelo, Jake Caruso and Brennan Shannon. Jeff Helsel / Mon Valley Independent