Want free gas? If you're a veteran or active military, here's how to get 10 gallons

Pain at the pump is no joke. But on Friday, some Rhode Islanders will see relief thanks to a gas giveaway.

From 10 a.m. until noon, veterans or active military will be able to get free gas at the Sunoco on Pleasant View Avenue in Smithfield. The station is filling the first 200 vehicles that arrive with up to 10 gallons, no charge. Attendees, who must be Rhode Islanders, will be asked to prove their service with a veterans identification card or an active military ID. their service.

The event is the brainchild of Robert Skeffington, Richard Santilli and Bill Hogan, three local business owners and friends.

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Skeffington, who runs PMG Charities with Santilli, said the idea was sparked during a discussion on high gas prices, which have left drivers paying nearly $5 per gallon.

"We just had a conversation about it saying how tough it is for people that are on budgets and how it’s eating away at so much of the budget, and then we got to senior citizens, and how they’re living on social security, some of them, and how that’s challenging," Skeffington said.

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Skeffington, Santilli and Hogan, who runs Mobile Fencing and Mobile Storage of RI, are teaming up to cover 90% of the costs for the giveaway, while the Sunoco station will cover the remaining 10%.

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Want free gas? If you're a veteran or active military, here's how to get it this week