My daughter Eleanor Marjorie-Anne Washburn was a tough force of nature. Born February 4, 2018, she was vibrant, feisty, loving, and sweet, but she was destined to fight with heart, with tenacity, in innocence, against a relentless enemy.
She loved music and movies - Taylor Swift, Frozen and Tangled were her favorites. And like Taylor, Elsa and Rapunzel, she didn’t need anyone else to validate her. She accepted any challenge set before her with a spirited independence: an endearing blend of “I’m doing this myself” but “be there if I need you, Dad.”
Medulloblastoma tried to steal her spirit but failed, miserably. She fought hard, tooth and nail, until her very last breath, with a Champion's will. She would be proud to have her name and her fighting spirit attached to such an elite, female empowering event like The Donna Andrews Invitational.
Thank you for honoring my “feisty little fighter girl” and her warrior's spirit. It comforts me to know her memory will be honored by a tournament established to celebrate exceptional women.
If you’d like to join the fight to end pediatric cancer, please consider making a donation in Eleanor’s name (see below) to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
I love you, Eleanor.
Eric Washburn
(Son of tournament founder, Steve Washburn)