Hockey, soccer tournament in Kelowna to raise money for Ronald McDonald House

A way to help sick children

Photo: Contributed

The 15th annual McElhanney Cares Charity Hockey and Soccer tournament is taking over Kelowna’s MNP Place next weekend in an effort to raise funds for Ronald McDonald’s House BC and Yukon.

Made up of players from a variety of different businesses around Kelowna, 16 hockey teams and eight soccer teams will battle it out May 24 and 25 in a fun and competitive tournament for a good cause.

“It’s a great event for the Ronald McDonald House charity,” said McElhanney’s Brad Elenko.

“This is the 15th year of the tournament and we’ve been able to raise over half a million dollars throughout the life of the tournament. Last year we raised a little over $90,000 and this year our target is $100,000.”

While teams will be out to win the tournament both on the ice and on the soccer pitch, the real winner is the Ronald McDonald House, which houses more than 2,000 families in need each year while children attend hospital.

According to RMHC, one-in-four Canadians have stayed a night at a Ronald McDonald house or know someone who has.

"The emphasis is certainly on fundraising, although all of the participating teams use it as a venue to support their company culture and team building. We have trophies for the most skilled teams, but the big winner of the tournament is the team that raises the most amount of money,” said Elenko.

Each team sets out weeks before the tournament to start collecting donations from local businesses, family, friends and whoever can lend a helping hand to those less fortunate than they are.

As on Friday, the McElhanney Cares Charity tournament had already raised more than $56,000, putting them more than 50 per cent of the way towards their annual goal.

The weekend of the tournament, MNP Place will be filled with sports action, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle, so people are encouraged to come on down and support the charity event. There’s great prizes, including WestJet flights and more.

The tournament kicks off at 3 p.m. May 24 and wraps up in the evening of May 25.