Home-grown tennis star and current U.S. Davis Cup Captain Mardy Fish announced last week that he had donated $10,000 to his Vero Beach-based foundation to offset the COVID-connected cancellation of its annual golf fundraiser at Windsor.
In a video released by the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation via email and on social media sites, Fish said he was “so disappointed” the event had to be canceled and asked past participants to donate to the cause, anyway.
“Because of you, we have been able to help thousands of kids here in Indian River County have safe, healthy and fun activities after school and over the summer,” Fish said. “With the virus, we’re all struggling . . . but imagine how much our at-risk youth is struggling. They need us now more than ever.
“Any and all amounts help us and our kids,” he added. “As little as $100 allows us to provide an after-school program activity for a child each semester.”
As of last week, the foundation had received nearly $24,000 in donations – including Fish’s contribution – from past golf participants, event sponsors and other local donors. Last years golf event raised $42,000.
According to Lynn Southerly, the foundation’s executive director, most of the local donors were Windsor residents.
Southerly said the golf tournament typically is “our second-biggest fundraiser behind the tennis tournament,” referring to the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, a men’s professional event held at The Boulevard Tennis Club.
“So, we’ve been lucky these people stepped up and gave money, anyway,” she added. “Without these fundraisers, we cannot help the kids.”
The foundation’s golf fundraiser was scheduled for January 18 and, with Fish in town, Southerly said she had hoped to add “some type of tennis event” the day before at The Boulevard.
“But no matter what protocols we came up with, we didn’t feel comfortable [going ahead with the golf tournament],” she said. “It was too risky, especially with Mardy committed to playing in the Diamond Resorts event.”
Fish, a former top-10 tennis player who now lives in Los Angeles, used his time in Vero Beach to prepare for last weekend’s Diamond Resorts Invitational celebrity golf tournament in Lake Buena Vista.
One of the world’s top celebrity golfers, Fish won the tournament in 2018 and again this year.
