Over 110 Philadelphia-area junior squash players organized the third annual “Squash Pediatric Cancer” event and raised more than $35,000 for pediatric cancer research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The event was held again at the Ford Squash Pavilion at The Haverford School.
The fundraiser included squash clinics for kids taught by top local squash professionals who kindly donated their talents and time for the cause. Following the clinics were three exhibition matches, the first was played by last year’s boys Under-19 national champion, Trevor McGuinness, versus this year’s champion, Todd Harrity. Their match was followed by two top pros from the US Women’s Team, Louisa Hall versus Ivy Pochoda. Two top men pros, Gavin Jones and Joe Russell, also entertained the crowd with their squash talents.
The fun continued as local favorite, DeeJay Howard spun tunes as frenzied kids and their parents stuffed raffle bags with $1 raffle tickets in hopes of a chance to win an iPod, electric guitar, Coldstone Creamery ice cream for a year, squash gear from Harrow, Prince, Head, Feather and Karakal, beautiful jewelry, college squash team gear from Cornell, Brown and Dartmouth and much more. Silent auction items brought in over $7,000 and included Lasik eye surgery, teeth whitening, a week at any one of Bryan Patterson’s world-wide squash camps, a squash camp at Demer Holleran’s soon-to-open local Fairmount Athletic Club, and a one of a kind handcrafted surf board that arrived the morning of the event on an overnight flight from LA! The reception included pizza, Coldstone Creamery ice cream and Philadelphia’s own soft pretzels.
More than 400 people were on hand throughout the afternoon to support this worthy cause. The event was founded by Lexi van Arkel in March 2005. Currently a junior at Episcopal Academy, van Arkel decided to put her passion for squash to good use when her younger brother’s schoolmate was diagnosed with cancer the prior year. She recruited Shipley junior, Clare Kuensell, as co-director and received additional help this year from two of her school squash teammates, Logan Greer and Anne Madeira, who served as Vice Co-Chairs. The Hospital’s Director of Outpatient Oncology, Dr. Susan Rheingold, speaks at the event every year.
The dedicated Junior Committee and their generous sponsors, led by Spencer Stuart and Welsh Subaru and supporters, should be proud that the event was an even bigger success than the prior years when $23,000 and $27,000 were raised, respectively. Even as kids, this group of squash players continue to build on a dream to make a difference in the lives of children with cancer.
