More than fifty squash and platform tennis players from the Merrimack Valley and beyond came together to raise over $300,000 for SquashBusters Lawrence at the fifth annual SquashBusters MashUp, presented by Anbaric, on December 10.
Hosted by Brooks School and North Andover Country Club, the MashUp is a pro-amateur squash and platform tennis tournament that brings together players from all over the world for a full day of competition. Each player committed to raise $1,500 or more in support of SquashBusters Lawrence and the 100+ youth who benefit from its programs.
The Essex County Nicks took home the Mash Cup this year, sweeping both the platform tennis and squash components of the event. They dominated the squash competition with help from Egyptian squash pro and former World Number 7 Wael El Hindi, winning 23 of their 33 squash matches. The team’s platform tennis players from the North Andover Country Club, led by paddle captain Adam Ware, earned 16 points for the Nicks, which helped clinch the Mash Cup victory. It was a first-time win for the team, captained by Henry White.
The Golden Mill Award, which goes to the team that raises the most funds, was awarded to both the Andover Academics, under the leadership of SQB Board member Jon Karlen, and the Merrimack Volley, captained by SQB Leadership Council member Bruce Landay. Both of these teams raised more than $77,000 for SquashBusters Lawrence.
In addition to El Hindi, the world-class squash professionals on court included World Champion Thierry Lincou, of France, playing for the Andover Academics; Irish star Arthur Gaskin, representing the Lawrence Legion; and Pakistan’s pride, Shahid Zaman Khan, playing for Merrimack Volley. Platform tennis pros included Johan du Randt and Bill Power (Andover Academics/The Country Club); Adam Gart and Thomas Nolan (Essex County Nicks/North Andover Country Club); Bill Anderson and Scott Staniar (Lawrence Legion/Concord Country Club); and Karl Gregor and Genius Chidzikwe (Merrimack Volley/Dedham Country and Polo Club & Weston Golf Club).
For the second year running, Anbaric Development Partners signed on as the presenting sponsor of the event. Other corporate sponsors of the event included Eastern Bank, Floyd Advisory, Intercontinental Real Estate, Mighty Squirrel Brewing Company, Westfield Capital Management, and WilmerHale.
“We are once again so inspired by the community’s incredible support and belief in our program,” said Dora Lubin, the program’s Executive Director. “SquashBusters is a life-changing opportunity for the young people we serve. Without this event, we truly would not be able to do all that we do for our students.”
For more information or to donate to the MashUp, visit http://squashbusters-mashup-2017.rallybound.org.