Our Story
On May 21, 2017, Drew & Kendra McDonald welcomed their beautiful baby boy, Hoyt Kenneth McDonald, into the world. Hoyt was such a chill, happy little guy, whose smile seemed to reach ear to ear. On February 28, 2018 Drew & Kendra got a call that no parent ever wants to get; Hoyt had fallen asleep for a nap and did not wake up. Hoyt was just 9 months & 1 week old when he arrived at the gates of Heaven.
After Hoyt passed away, friends of the McDonald family came together wanting to do something for the family in honor of their son. The planning began in March 2018 for a benefit to be held in June 2018; the benefit was to be a triathlon style event, where teams would register and compete in trap shooting, bags (i.e. corn hole), & sand volleyball. The event was coined the Team HOYT {Hold Our Youth Tight} Triathlon; the acronym created based off of Hoyt’s name. Triathlon teams paid an entry fee which secured their spot to compete and included team shirts and koozies. Raffle tickets were sold for several hot ticket items, and shirts were available for sale to the public. The event raised approximately $7,000, which was given to the family to help with the unexpected expenses due to Hoyt’s passing.
After seeing the success of this benefit and the community come together in such an influential way, the McDonald family along with their friends and founders of the Hold Our Youth Tight Triathlon decided to continue with an annual event in honor of Hoyt, to raise awareness about infant loss, and to give back to the community that provided them so much love and support during this tragic time. A second event was held in June of 2019, which raised just as much money as the prior year. Funds were used to award two 2019 & two 2020 high school seniors with scholarships in memory of Hoyt.
Hoyt Kenneth McDonald
May 21, 2017 - February 28, 2018
Sullivan Garrett Hall
May 14, 2019 - October 16, 2019
Just before the 2nd annual Team HOYT Triathlon was held, Katie & Lee Hall, friends of the McDonalds & founders of Hold Our Youth Tight, welcomed their precious baby boy, Sullivan Hall, into the world on May 14, 2019. Sullivan was a great addition to their family; he was so loved, especially by his big sister Layla. His smile lit up the entire room. On October 16, 2019 Katie and Lee, too, received a call that no parent ever wants to receive. Sullivan, too, had fallen asleep for nap and was not responsive. Sullivan was just 5 months & 2 days old when he joined Hoyt in Heaven. Sullivan was the nephew of one of the original founders of Hold Our Youth Tight.
The Hold Our Youth Tight Team unanimously agreed that the annual event was now going to be held in honor of both Hoyt & Sullivan. The 2020 Triathlon, though a bit of a challenge due to COVID, was a major success; over $12,000 was raised! See the Home page for details on how our organization has utilized proceeds to give back to the community.
In February 2021 our team started our journey toward becoming incorporated and recognized as an official non-profit (501-C) at the federal level. We received confirmation of our 501-C status on September 11, 2021! Our mission is to raise awareness about infant loss and to support those who have experienced the death of a child by giving back to the community in remembrance of Hoyt Kenneth McDonald and Sullivan Garrett Hall.