Walker to “Squash-the-World”

Never to rest on his laurels, Chris Walker—former World No. 4 and all-around squash nut—continues to use his creative mind to raise funds for Surf City Squash in San Diego, CA. Last year he tackled a marathon and raised over $50,000 for the urban program. This year he’s expanding his horizons a bit by attempting to “get as many people in as many cities and countries around the world as possible” to do their own running for Surf City.

Top (L-R): Jocelyn Blakeman, Renato Paiva, Terry Betteridge, Andrew Bell, Petra Benova, Chris Walker and Kathleen Walker. Kneeling are Surf City Squashers Will and Reyna.
Top (L-R): Jocelyn Blakeman, Renato Paiva, Terry Betteridge, Andrew Bell, Petra Benova, Chris Walker and Kathleen Walker. Kneeling are Surf City Squashers Will and Reyna.

“It will be great to have a world map on the Surf City Squash website covered in blue dots, each representing a member of the Surf City ‘Squash-the-World’ team 2009,” said Walker.

While other urban programs focus locally, Walker’s idea of reaching outside of San Diego will provide a unique learning experience for the Surf City kids. “When we put a participant on our ‘Squash-the-World’ map, we’ll also be able to educate the kids on the program with some geography and, if participants communicat with us, one of the Surf City Squash kids can have fun supplying them with support and updates about how the campaign is going,” said Walker. “And they can ask questions about their locality around the world. Most of these kids haven’t left San Diego in their lifetimes!”

To get involved with this Surf City fundraiser, simply find a local run/walk event and get your local friends to sponsor you—and help secure the future of Surf City Squash and the 32 kids in the program. “These kids work hard at their studies, and I know about the tough backgrounds they come from, but the simple commitment to sport and study gives them opportunities they could only have dreamed of—and a chance to change their lives and the lives of the people around them,” Walker added. “In camps I held in San Diego last summer, the Surf City kids were the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night—and never complained about anything.”

For more information, visit www.SurfCitySquash.org or contact Chris Walker directly by email to chris@walker.net.