Lynne Falconer, Shane's Team

Shane McElhanney was a kind, charismatic, and funny young man, who brightened the days of his friends, family, and all others around him. 

The Shane McElhanney Memorial Fund’s page on the Edmonton Community Foundation’s website reads: “Shane was a shepherd. A shepherd of people from all walks of life. Shane was a gatherer. A gatherer of the best qualities in all of us and bundling it into his awesome personality. He was caring, charismatic, funny, generous, kind and most of all, loving.”

He also loved sports, playing rugby with the Edmonton Clansmen Rugby Club, as well as playing ice hockey, baseball, soccer, volleyball, floor hockey, ball hockey, football, skiing with his family, and racing bikes.

“It would be quicker to list the sports he didn’t play,” says his mother, Lynne Falconer. 

Tragically, Shane lost his life in a car accident six years ago at the age of 28. While they struggled with such a devastating loss, Shane’s family decided to do something meaningful to remember him. The Shane McElhanney Memorial Fund was set up in 2016 to “enhance the quality of life for youth living in greater Edmonton”, with the first fundraising event being held in 2017. 

The Fund’s goal is to “remove the financial barriers for children and youth to play the sport of their choice”. 

As Lynne put it: "To help children play sports and learn the same skills that I felt that Shane, and his younger brothers have learned through sports, is something that all children should experience."

There was a shared goal with Free Play for Kids, with Lynne learning about the program through an article that mentioned Alphonso Davies’ time in the program. 

“I think it teaches so many skills that are needed everywhere. When I think about kindness, when I think about helping out team members, sports teach so many life skills. So that's why when I saw Free Play, it touched my heart. It is an encompassing organization that delivers so much to children that would not otherwise have this opportunity. It's more than just sport, it's a community around these children when many of them are vulnerable."

The natural fit was too much to pass over, and Free Play has been the recipient of the fund in four of the past five years. The jersey reveal in June, which Lynne attended, was a special moment for Lynne.

"The jersey reveal in June was amazing,” she says. “The kids would come out in their jerseys, and they would tumble, they would dance."

Shane’s fund has a special logo that has gone on some jerseys: A heart that says “Shane’s Team,”, with the borders of the heart made up of multicoloured smaller and bigger hands. 

“I always say that the big hands are the many caring people that have supported his fund to help the little hands, the people that Free Play helps,” Lynne says.

Lynne also appreciates how Free Play uses the jerseys to convey a social message. Shane’s jerseys have a “Black Lives Matter” design, and in June, there was a Pride Week design, prompting discussions about Pride. 

“It is amazing that you can educate and play at the same time,” Lynne remarks. “There's so much learning going on.”

Another aspect of the jerseys that Lynne points out is the slogan on the  back of the jersey: “Play, Belong, and Grow,” and how it reflects Free Play’s mission and the progression of the kids from playing to being coaches and leaders in their own right.

“The growth in Free Play, it's really evolutionary, and it's a path of life, and there's not many organizations that can say that. I really believe that the 'Play, Belong, and Grow' theme is so amazing. And I congratulate Free Play for what they've done."

Lynne and Shane’s fund are on board with the partnership with Free Play going forward. She feels that it’s an excellent way to carry on her son’s legacy of kindness, community, and growth through sports.

"I believe in sports, first and foremost,” Lynne says. “Sports teach teamwork, commitment, roles… I just really believe in sport as a way of giving you what you use in life as you mature, as you go into business, as you work.”

"Children are so important, raising them to be responsible adults is so important. And that's why I feel  if you just give them a leg up, it helps them to become mature and caring adults.”

Written by Stefan Salegio