The Madisen’s Match charity tennis event served up a winner at its first online auction. The week-long event that featured exclusive auction items and interviews with international tennis stars raised nearly $30,000. The funds will support the new neurosurgery program at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Madisen’s Match founder Duane Chaney served as host as he sat down, virtually, throughout the week with many of the game’s best, including Mike and Bob Bryan, Murphy and Luke Jensen, Sam Querrey and Tom Gullikson. The interviews touched on why the tennis greats have been huge supporters of Madisen’s Match over the years. The athletes also shared stories with Chaney about their tennis careers and their love of the game.
Murphy Jensen was emotional as he explained his involvement in Madisen’s Match since day one back in 2008: “Any time I’m part of an event that’s personal, I always like to ask the question when I’m being invited, ‘what is this event benefiting, what are you trying to accomplish, what’s the mission of this event?’” said Jensen. “The impact and the growth [of Madisen’s Match] goes way beyond what you [Chaney] envisioned, what Madisen envisioned. When you think about champion tennis players, the community, the hospital, the children, I think this has had an impact way beyond Florida, way beyond the United States. What we do in those few days in Southwest Florida is something super special.”
In addition to exclusive interviews with tennis celebrities, Madisen’s Match featured an online auction with items such as a one-year membership to Useppa Island Club, a diamond tennis bracelet, diamond pendant, spa packages and framed photographs autographed by legendary athletes.
Madisen’s Match event sponsor First Horizon Bank stepped up for this year’s event by offering a matching grant of $5,000. The match was secured after the first $5,000 in donations were received early in the week.
Since its inception in 2008, Madisen’s Match has raised over $1.3 million for Barbara’s Friends and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. These funds have provided new equipment and services to provide life-saving care at Golisano over the last decade.
