After 30 years of servicing the community as owner of Elmwood Sports, the community is giving back to Steve Marocco.

When the previous leadership of the annual Red Andrews tournament stepped aside, Warwick North President Dave Palumbo and Bob “Gopher” Brodeur took over to make sure the purpose of the event wasn’t lost. They approached Marocco with the intention of dedicating it to his grandson, Jaxon.

Now a new tradition will begin Monday with the Jaxon Marocco Tournament, named in memory of the child who passed away from Niemann-Pick disease just short of his second birthday last Saturday. For the first year of the tournament, all proceeds will go to Niemann-Pick research, a rare condition where organs grow faster than the body.

Beginning next summer, there will be a $500 scholarship fund established in Jaxon’s name as well.

“We wanted something that’s going to stick around for another 30 years,” Brodeur said. “It has the same qualities, the same love of the game that Red Andrews had, and now the Marocco family. [Jaxon] never got a chance to play, so the kids are going to play for Jaxon.”

The event will feature 10 teams from across the state of Rhode Island, including squads based in Lincoln, North Providence and Warwick. The rosters are composed of players who were not selected to their district all-star teams, giving them a chance to enjoy one more tournament before heading back to the hallways.

“Having so many kids in the Warwick area, there are so many kids that deserve a chance to be an all-star that I can’t see the tournament ever ending,” Brodeur said. “These kids love to play baseball. One last tournament at the end of the year, when lacrosse is coming in, football is coming, in hockey is coming in, there’s still that push for baseball before going back to school.”

Donations help drive the event, and they haven’t been hard to come by. Food is donated to the concession stands, with Rigatoni’s offering to cover fees that may arise. Also, Elmwood Sports will issue t-shirts for each of the players to mark their participation in the tournament.

“We’ve been trying to raise as much money as we can and charitable contributions with umpires and baseballs, and uniforms have been somewhat donated,” Brodeur said. “The biggest cost is getting umpires to donate their time, but they usually donate their time with this tournament.”

The tournament will be held between the Bend Street Complex and Abe Klitzner Field, also known as “The Pit.” A majority of the games will be held at Bend Street.

Considering the impact that Marocco, and his son and Elmwood Sports President Mark Marocco, have had in Warwick and in neighboring cities, Brodeur thought it was only appropriate to return the favor.

“I’ve been getting my stuff from him for 20 years,” Brodeur said. “We first went to him to get shirts and we didn’t know the first thing about it. Since that day, I’ve never gone elsewhere. Whatever I need, I’ll get it from Steve. He’s done a lot with communities around baseball and never done for anything back. You had a kid that played any sport, I bet you they got a pair of socks from the Marocco family.”

Anyone interested in making a donation can contact Dave Palumbo at 401-345-0400.