The Seattle-based charity, Austen Everett Foundation, has received $25,600 from Rain City Capital, a bridge money lender located in Kirkland to further their work empowering kids fighting cancer through the strength and support of professional and collegiate athletic teams nationwide.
The Austen Everett Foundation was founded in 2012 by Austen Everett, a Seattle native, who was diagnosed with cancer during her junior year at the University of Miami. As the goalkeeper for the Miami Hurricanes, she recognized the empowerment her team provided during her most difficult times. That began her dream to provide that same strength and support to all kids fighting cancer.
At Austen Everett Foundation events kids with cancer are named honorary team captains and matched up with sports teams, which provides them with the opportunity to benefit from the strength and support the team environment provides. Honorary team captains are made part of the team in many different ways. They receive a personalized team jersey, visit the locker room, attend coaches’ pre-game talks, walk on the field or court with the team, and watch warmups from the players’ bench. They also have their name featured on the jumbotron, call the captains’ coin toss, receive autographed team gear, and their family receives VIP game-day treatment.
“Those values fought for in competition bloom effortlessly in those fighting for their lives,” Everett said, who lost her fight to cancer in 2012. Since her passing, Everett’s mother, June Leahy, has carried on the foundation.
The Austen Everett Foundation is working with teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS, NHL, NWSL, WNBA and NCAA, as well as many other leagues throughout the nation. Children’s hospitals nationwide have partnered with the Austen Everett Foundation to provide this powerful experience to kids fighting cancer in their communities. Over 650 kids have thus far benefitted from the honorary team captain experience.
“As an athlete, a sports fan, and a competitive individual in general I was immediately drawn to what the Austen Everett Foundation is doing. If I had been able to catch a pass from Steve Largent when I was a kid it would have been the best day of my life,” Fred Rea, founder, said in a press release. “Austen’s willingness to never give up is something I have thought about almost daily since meeting June Leahy. The Austen Everett Foundation is an incredible organization that I will continue to support for years to come.”
Rain City Capital’s charity program, The $100 Mission, was created in 2016 by founder Rea through a desire to support Washington’s small and deserving charities. Rea lost everything in the economic downturn of 2008, and at that point in his life an extra $100 would have been a tremendous help. He’s now decided to show just how far $100 can go by giving $100 per hard money loan transaction to a local charity. The charities chosen are registered 501(c)(3) non-profits that have been personally interviewed by Rea.
The $100 Mission has thus far raised $221,700 for local charities, including The MORELove Project, Beautiful Soles, PDX Diaper Bank, Dancing Dog, Giving to Fly, Washington Kids in Transition, Escape to Peace, and the Austen Everett Foundation.
For more information about the Austen Everett Foundation, please visit www.austeneverettfoundation.org. For more information about Rain City Capital, please visit www.raincitycapital.com.
