SquashBusters Celebrates 10th Derby with $1.2 Million Raised for Youth Development Program by Lauren Vincent photo SquashBusters
May 10, 2016, ROXBURY CROSSING
– In an inspiring show of support for the SquashBusters youth program’s
twentieth year, members of the Boston community rallied together to
raise over $1.2 million dollars for the tenth MFS SquashBusters Derby
on Friday, May 6th and Saturday, May 7th.
With help from
partners like MFS Investment Management, who generously signed on as
the event’s title sponsor for the fifth year in a row, and Westfield
Capital, SquashBusters raised a record-breaking amount for its
sports-based afterschool youth development program – the final tally
coming in at $1,218,928. The Derby, which is a pro-amateur squash
competition that takes place each May, brings together supporters from
all over the world who commit to fundraising at least $5,000 for their
spot as a doubles or singles player on one of the eight competing
teams.
This year, MFS Chairman and co-CEO Rob
Manning and CFO Amrit Kanwal both supported the event and played
doubles for Wallbanger, the defending champions who won the competition
for the ninth year in a row after a rematch of last year’s finals
against runner-up Eijk’s Knights.
While Wallbanger took
home the trophy as winners of the squash competition, each year the
Derby also recognizes the individual who raises the most on behalf of
the program through the coveted Secretariat Award. This year’s cup was
presented to two recipients: Sandy Tierney, Executive Vice-President at
McCall & Almy and David Drubner, Executive Director at The Baupost
Group; each of whom raised nearly $95,000 to support the nearly 300
Boston and Lawrence youth who benefit from the SquashBusters program.
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.
On
Saturday, supporters filled the SquashBusters facility on the
Northeastern University campus, to watch singles matches and enjoy 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.
“It has been
said that SquashBusters is like a family. To me, it is much more than
that,” said Amado, who will be attending Providence College in the
fall. “SquashBusters has been central to every experience I’ve enjoyed,
every relationship I’ve benefited from, every goal I’ve set, and every
hope I’ve had since I joined four years ago.”
In addition
to the fundraising players, fifteen world-class squash professionals
came out to the event, including former World No. 1’s Thierry Lincou,
Peter Nicol, David Palmer and Jonathon Power, as well as current World
No. 8 Amanda Sobhy, who played on the first-ever all-women’s Derby
team, Unbridled.
“The Derby makes the SquashBusters
program possible. It is by far our most significant annual fundraising
effort, and we are sincerely grateful to all of the players and
fundraisers who are the engine that drives the event’s success each
year,” said Greg Zaff, SquashBusters CEO and founder.
