As SquashBusters celebrates its twentieth year impacting Boston youth, supporters of the world’s first urban squash program have rallied to raise over $1.1 million dollars for the tenth MFS SquashBusters Derby. The Derby, which is taking place on May 7 at the SquashBusters facility on the Northeastern University campus, is a team-based, pro-am squash tournament that raises critical funds for the youth development program.
Each doubles and singles player has generously raised at least $5,000 on behalf of SquashBusters for their spot on one of the eight competing teams. For the fifth year running, MFS Investment Management has signed on as the title sponsor of the event, and company Chairman and co-CEO Rob Manning and CFO Amrit Kanwal will represent the defending champions Wallbanger. Other fundraising participants include Blue Dragon and Blue Ginger Chef/Owner Ming Tsai, William O’Neil + Co. President Steve Birch, and SquashBusters Board Chair John Blasberg.
In addition to MFS, corporate sponsors of the event include Westfield Capital Management, Audax Group, Berkshire Partners, Brown Brothers Harriman, Carousel Industries, Clough Capital Partners, Deloitte, Ernst & Young LLP, Folger Hill Asset Management, General Catalyst Partners, Kohlberg & Associates, McCall & Almy, National Development / Charles River Realty Investors, New Balance, William O’Neil & Co., Sapient Global Markets, State Street Corporation, Sun Life Investment Management, Thermo Fisher Scientific, TOG, and UBS.
Fifteen world-class squash professionals will take the courts with the amateurs, including former World No. 1’s Thierry Lincou, Peter Nicol, David Palmer, and Jonathon Power, as well as current World No. 8 Amanda Sobhy, on the first-ever all-women’s Derby team, Unbridled.
The event on Saturday will follow a full day of doubles matches on Friday, May 6 at the University Club of Boston, as well as a cocktail party and a speaking program featuring remarks from graduating SquashBusters senior Yaritza Amado, a student at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury.
SquashBusters has served more than 500 young people from Boston and Lawrence since its inception in 1996. The first urban squash program of its kind, SquashBusters is a sports-based after school youth development program that uses a combination of squash and fitness, academic enrichment, and character development to open doors and prepare students for college. SquashBusters has served as the model for what has now become an international movement impacting the health, character and educational success of thousands of urban youth. The Boston program paved the way for urban squash and education programs in twenty U.S. cities, including New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and San Diego, as well as several programs abroad. Together, these programs serve more than 2,000 students worldwide.
(Posting courtesy of Lauren Vincent of SquashBusters)