OLDSMAR, Fla. — Last year, ABC Action News introduced you to McKenna Brown. The 16-year-old excelled academically and was a star goalie on a traveling hockey team. But just before she was about to start her senior year at East Lake High School, McKenna died by suicide after her family says she was bullied online.
To honor the one-year anniversary of her tragic death, her family held “The McKenna Way Memorial Day.”
“We bring awareness to the fact that when someone has a smile on their face when they seem happy all the time, maybe they're not okay. And maybe we have to go one step farther, just like McKenna would, and maybe truly ask, are you okay?” said Jimmy Myers, her former coach.
The day was all about remembering McKenna and her spirit. The family also dedicated a new bench in her honor outside Oldsmar’s Tampa Bay Skating Academy. The bench displays McKenna’s picture and the national suicide and crisis lifeline, which read, “If you want to talk, call 988.”
The Brown family hopes someone who’s struggling will see this bench and get the help they need.
“Kids are opening up about being bullied, about feeling sad, and they're able to get the kids help. And that's heartwarming because that's McKenna at work, and those are conversations that wouldn't have happened without her,” said Cheryl Brown, McKenna’s mom.
“Pretty frequently somebody reaches out and says how McKenna impacted them, saved them, you know, helped them in a very difficult time in their life. And so, she continues to be able to do that going forward,” said Hunter Brown, McKenna’s dad.
McKenna’s spirit was felt all around the hockey rink, as countless items had her name along with the hashtags “The McKenna Way” and “Kindness Matters” on them. Skaters and hockey players also wore her #34 jersey. Even the Tampa Bay Lightning donated backpacks and auction items, with all proceeds going to the McKenna Way Foundation.
McKenna's brother ''Mac'' misses how funny she was and so much more.
“It's been tough the last year going through ups and downs, just trying to find peace with it,” said Mac. “She was the best little sister I could ask for. It was always a pleasure watching her. Like I'd hear from other people around the rink or the gym, like how impressive she was. And that always made me so proud.”
Jimmy Myers trained McKenna and said she's left a permanent mark inside his gym.
“Since this has happened, we've drawn a fine line between it's okay to have some competitive talk. It's not okay to make someone feel bad,” explained Myers. “We always say our culture is literally built around McKenna. When we tell athletes what we want them to be like, we want them to be like McKenna. We don't always use her name, but that's what we're asking. We're asking them to be kind, encouraging, uplifting, hard-working. She was all those things, so she literally shaped the culture of our gym.”
And for McKenna’s former teammates, they still struggle with the loss every day.
“It's very hard without her because she always lit up the room. She was always there for you. If you were going through anything, she was always by your side. It's just completely different without her here,” said Sarah Walters, a former teammate.
But McKenna’s memory and legacy will live on forever.
“She was larger than life. She continues to be larger than life,” said Hunter.
McKenna’s mom Chery added, “She's with us always. And I see it in so many signs every day. I hear birds that I never heard before, and the number of rainbows I see is pretty, pretty overwhelming.”
McKenna’s bench was donated by Josh Benches for awareness. Josh’s family started this campaign after Josh died by suicide five years ago. Their mission is to prevent suicides and end the negative stigma behind mental health.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call the suicide lifeline at 988 or the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211.