LETHBRIDGE – More than two years have passed since the world lost young Madison Hirlehey.
“Maddie was always our hero,” said her father, Steve Hirlehey. “She was diagnosed at the age of four with lymphoma and she battled and battled for seven years with hardly a complaint.”
Hirlehey remembers his daughter as a happy, fun-loving kid who had a natural way with people. He said she was a particularly bright light at her home-away-from-home, the Ronald McDonald House in Calgary.
“Maddie was extremely popular,” said Hirlehey. “The staff absolutely loved her and went out of their way, above and beyond, to make her feel good.”
The Ronald McDonald House is a multi-family unit, where those going through treatment at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and their families can stay for just $12 a night. Commuting from Lethbridge to Calgary for Madison’s treatment for seven years, often staying for months at a time, the RMH saved the Hirlehey family thousands of dollars. But, it also provided a support system. The staff and other families who used the House have become close friends to the Hirlehey family.
So, when Steve Hirlehey thought of creating a golf tournament in Madison’s honour, he had no doubt he wanted the Ronald McDonald House to be the beneficiary.
“We were treated so well throughout Maddie’s treatment and her journey that we feel compelled to do something,” said Hirlehey.
The first Madison Hirlehey Memorial golf tournament raised more than $18-thousand for the House. The second annual event is July 29 at the Paradise Canyon golf course in Lethbridge. With a full organizing committee now in place, Hirlehey said the tournament is on-pace to more than double the number of golfers, sponsors and money raised in its second year.
“And I’m hoping to continue this year after year,” said Hirlehey.
For more information, visit the tournament website here.
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