By Adam Altobella
After a year without the event, the 9th annual SmashCancer girls’ tennis match will take place on Tuesday, May 4 at the Delta High School tennis courts.
During this annual event, two passionate girls’ tennis rivals, Delta and Yorktown, will put their differences aside to compete in the honor, and memory, of those afflicted with cancer.
In addition to the play on the court, numerous cancer survivors will be in attendance to share their experiences and to smash an honorary first serve.
All of the proceeds from the match festivities and apparel sales will be directly donated to local cancer organizations. Among these beneficiaries are the IU Health Ball Cancer Center, the Little Red Door Cancer Services of ECI, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, and more.
In fact, $41,000 has been raised throughout the eight-year history of the event, and that total will climb past $50,000 this year if the high goal that has been set by both programs for this year’s rendition is achieved.
Like Smash Cancer events of the past, apparel showcasing the event’s logo is on sale. This has long been the primary source of fundraising for the event.
Unlike years past, the Smash Cancer event will utilize an online to store to make ordering more efficient. An online store is available at https://2021smashcancer.itemorder.com
Order before April 22 if you want to receive your items before the May 4 match. The store will remain open through May 5, but anything ordered after April 22 will not be available until after the match is over.
The items for sale this year are the classic dri-fit tee shirts ($10), short-sleeve tie-dye tees ($15), crewneck sweatshirts ($15), long-sleeve cotton tees ($15), hats ($13), and visors ($13). An average of about $4 per item is the profit that directly benefits the cancer organizations.
These items will be available in numerous colors, all of which represent a specific form of cancer. Popular colors of the past have been pink, orange, navy, light blue, black and tie-dye. This year green is likely to be a popular color in honor of Delaware Community Schools Supt. Reece Mann, who is battling liver bile duct cancer. This cancer’s color is green.
Mann plans to be an honorary server prior to the match.
In addition to the online store apparel, other items such as facemasks and keychains will be sold exclusively at Delta High School. Like the shirts and hats, these items will be available in different colors, as well.
The masks, some of which say SMASH and some of which say MANN UP, are handmade by the members of the Delta girls’ tennis team. The keychains are being made by students in Mr. Curt Grams’ technology classes.
The Smash Cancer event has become a staple in the Delaware County area for its athletic intrigue, but most importantly, for its excellent cause. It may just be a high school athletic event, but its goals at its core are much more far reaching. Help the Delta and Yorktown communities smash cancer!
