Hannah Searls raises $485 for Ronald Mcdonald House tournament
Hannah Searls has raised $485 toward her $450 goal for Ronald McDonald House through McElhanney's annual sports charity tournament in Kelowna. The third-year engineering student at the University of Northern British Columbia will wear McElhanney Team White when play begins Friday, May 29.
The fundraiser runs through McElhanney's 17th year of hockey, soccer and slo-pitch competition, with teams required to contribute at least $1,000 and keep fundraising on their own. Last year's tournament brought in $121,000 and provided 484 nights to 40 families through Ronald McDonald House of B.C. and Yukon.
Hannah Searls and Hudson's Hope
Searls, 21, works summers with McElhanney as an engineering student. She said the Peace River Regional District and Hudson's Hope inspired her to become an engineer, and she tied that to the tournament's community focus.
“I spent my entire childhood [in Hudson’s Hope,]” she said. “The [Peace River Regional District] in general, and Hudson’s Hope is what inspired me to become an engineer.” She also said, “I played Timbits soccer as a kid,” and added, “Sports in general, the community that comes from them, and the confidence in young kids is really important.”
McElhanney's Kelowna tournament
McElhanney has been the charter sponsor for the past six years. The company said the tournament's proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House of B.C. and Yukon, which provides accommodations for families away from home when a child is receiving medical care.
Searls said McElhanney's purpose matched the reason she applied to work there. “Everybody loves to give back to their community, and that’s one of the things I thought about when applying to work at McElhanney is their purpose: our clients care for our communities and empower our people. They love to give back to their community.”
What the money supports
The numbers from last year set the scale for this year's fundraising target. McElhanney said 40 families received 484 nights of support from the event's proceeds, while Searls enters this year's tournament already more than halfway to her own donation goal.
Her effort adds a specific test for the Kelowna tournament: whether individual fundraising can keep pace with the event's long-running team model. For Searls, the immediate measure is simple — a $485 total against a $450 goal before she even steps onto the field.
