It’s reached Birthday No. 23 this year, but the TCS Ronald McDonald tournament in Houston continues its original mission: attracting college coaches and raising money for a good cause.

Establishing a nationally renowned fastpitch event is a lot like a marriage proposal—to make it memorable, you need to bring a bit of unique flair to the occasion.

Jonathan Lampl and Tom Jackson took a look at the softball landscape in Houston more than 20 years ago and envisioned a wedding of compassion and competition, something that would lay claim to the fastpitch calendar and hold its ground over the long haul.

Sure enough, teams have proven loyal to the idea, as the Ronald McDonald Tournament has grown to more than 300 squads on two weekends with 200-plus college coaches present to make it a recruiting and skill-building bonanza.

This year’s 18 Open roster, for example, shows 172 teams confirmed with players coming from around the nation, Florida to Washington and many states in between.

This year’s event will take place Oct. 25-27 (10U through 16U) and Oct. 31-Nov. 2 (18U), with proceeds again supporting the cause of providing housing and support for families with seriously ill children who are being treated at Texas Medical Center facilities.

“Tom and I thought we needed to have a benefit tournament at our Spring Klein Girls Softball league. We interviewed many charities and felt the most comfortable with the Ronald McDonald House,” said Lampl, who two years ago agreed to allow Triple Crown Sports to take over certain management responsibilities.

“We used to play it all on one weekend, but we had so many 18u teams we were just turning them away. So we decided to add that second weekend. Our college coach turnout became phenomenal.”

The inaugural tourney had a very humble outcome – six teams signed up, and the league agreed to offer up $250 so there could be at least a modest contribution. Today, the charity receives $100 for each team that enters, as well as 10 percent of the hotel and T-shirt revenue.

The 2013 generated $45,000 for the House, and overall the event has put about $300,000 toward the charity.

Teams from 31 states and Canada are slated for this year’s event. A total of 26 fields will be used for Week 1, and 28 fields are in action for Week 2, with about 25 staffers on hand for each weekend. The invitation-only OnDeck Camp is another major draw for coaches and players alike, and the tournament simply finds a way to retain its reputation as the premier recruiting event for the sport after tryouts.

“The tournament started to gain some share after about eight years,” Lampl said. “The 18u started getting notice by the colleges, and through some quality teams and good luck, it has become the giant machine that it is today.”