Celebrating 20 Years of Helping Mothers Battling Cancer

What began as a small initiative has grown into one of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington’s most celebrated charity golf tournaments, uniting the local community and golfers in a shared commitment to help mothers battling cancer. With a rich two-decade history, the In the Name of the Mother Golf Tournament 20^th anniversary serves as a tribute to the lives it has touched and the remarkable person behind its inception.

Established in 2005 after the passing of Megan McConville who was only 35 years old with four young children, family and friends turned tragedy into hope and began helping other families in the same circumstance.

“Friends and family wanted to give us money to do something. This tournament has been an unbelievable outlet to start something positive. And we did,” said Kevin McConville, founder and Megan’s husband. “It’s been 20 years of laughter, mercy, and celebration — and the blessings that came from this tournament are beyond what we ever imagined.”

For the past 20 years, the funds raised from the tournament have been able to provide financial support to mothers who have been diagnosed with cancer. The tournament has become a lifeline for families. And after all these years and countless families served, the founder has never forgotten the first family they helped.

“The first family we helped was a woman whose husband was killed in a war. She came to the U.S., lost everything in Katrina, moved to D.C., and then found out she had cancer,” said McConville. “It was an easy moment to say, ‘my life’s tough,’ until I met her.”

Overall, the outing helped raise over $79,000. At this year’s tournament, friends, golfers, and supporters, including Catholic Charities DC’s president and CEO, Jim Malloy, gathered to reminisce on the many lives impacted by the generosity of others.

“For someone that does not play golf, this is my favorite day of the year. Because I get to be here with you, and Catholic Charities could not be more grateful,” said Malloy. “If you’re looking at the people that we’re serving, the people dealing with a cancer diagnosis in their family, those people are under greater pressure this year than they have been in the past. The one thing we can always count on is this event.”