First of all, a big thank you to everyone in our community. It’s been said before and we’ll say it again: We would never have made it through the last 18 months without you. One of the most rewarding experiences we’ve all had is to see our community grow and expand in every dimension.
And I don’t think I can contain my excitement to announce (for those who have not seen the invitation) that Ali Farag – PSA World #1 and a Harvard graduate, and one of the nicest guys on the PSA tour – is supporting our community with a visit soon! Specifically, Ali has agreed to come play an exhibition match against 2018 British Open champion Miguel Rodriguez at your very own Manhattan Community Squash Center on September 29th. This will be the centerpiece of our very first fundraising event. Talk about kicking it off with a bang! (I’ve no idea how we’ll top this for number two!)
In case you have forgotten, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit that is all about community and inclusiveness, and over 25% of our membership receive economic assistance. And we recently decided to bring our junior program in house, so that any junior, regardless of background and income, can participate. This fundraiser is specifically focused on expanding access to our junior program by creating a junior scholarship fund as well as supporting our existing squash program with lower-income kids of the Hudson Guild settlement house in Chelsea (click here for more information about Hudson Guild).
Before the Farag/Rodriguez extravaganza, some brave members of our community are helping our fundraising effort by taking on Ali Farag or Miguel Rodriguez for a game.; There are a couple of spots left, so if you want a game with Ali or Miguel, and want to help us fundraise, get in touch with Cleve@TheSquashCenter.org.
If you have already seen the invitation and purchased a ticket or donated, great. Thank you! But if not, here’s how you can help:
– Donate
– Support one of the 10 members playing Ali or Miguel and fundraising here.
Cleve has your back if you have any questions – reach out to him at Cleve@TheSquashCenter.org.
I can’t wait to see you all on September 29th. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen some of your smiling faces and I cannot wait. In case you’ve forgotten what I look like, I’ll be the guy watching Ali Farag show us how not to boast while keeping it deep.
James.