LITM Partners With Sunrise Day Camps For Play It Forward Tennis Event

For the second time, Long Island Tennis Magazine partnered with Sunrise Day Camp to host the Play It Forward Tennis event. The fundraiser, hosted at SPORTIME Roslyn, was held in the Courts & Cocktails theme and helped raise money to support Sunrise’s mission.

“Sunrise Day Camp is the world’s only full-summer day camp free of charge for children with cancer and their siblings,” said Bonni Gould, Sunrise’s Senior Director of Development. “Our mission is to bring the joys of childhood back to children affected by pediatric cancer, providing a safe, fun and inclusive environment where they can simply be kids. In addition to camp, we offer year-round programs and in-hospital recreational activities to support families throughout their journey.”

The night was filled with tennis games on the courts run by enthusiastic teaching pros while a DJ kept the energy high playing great music throughout.

After the on-court action was finished, there was an expansive catered food spread courtesy of Marinara Pizza. Everyone was able to mingle while enjoying food and a wide selection of drinks served up by the event bartenders.

“Events like Saturday night are so important for raising money for Sunrise and bringing the community together in a meaningful way. It was an unforgettable evening—playing tennis, enjoying great food and drinks, and sharing amazing energy—all while supporting a worthy cause,” said Nikki Oheb, a Sunrise Day Camp co-chair. “It’s the kind of night people talk about for weeks, already counting down to the next one. There’s something special about coming together for a cause like this, doing what we love, and knowing that every serve, every rally, and every moment on the court is making a real difference. It’s the perfect mix of passion and purpose, and we can’t wait to do it again!”

This was the second Play It Forward Tennis Event that Sunrise and Long Island Tennis Magazine put on. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we were able to raise close to $10,000 which will all go towards Sunrise’s mission.

“Participants loved that it was a fun night with friends, all while supporting a great cause. It was an opportunity to connect, compete and make a meaningful impact—all in one evening,” Gould added. “Since it costs $7,000 to send one child to camp for a full summer, this event helped provide a transformational summer experience for a deserving family. We’re so grateful to our co-chairs, the Ohebs and Ramins, Marinara Pizza Roslyn for donating the delicious dinner, and everyone who participated and made this event such a success.”

Teaming up with Sunrise Day Camp to help raise money for its mission was the ideal way to utilize the ever-growing Courts & Cocktails event series, which have both helped to provide tennis-playing opportunities for young adults, and to do so while benefitting others.

David Sickmen, Publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine, added:

“We were proud to partner with Sunrise Association and use our successful Courts & Cocktails event series to help those who are less fortunate. Everyone who participated had a great time and it was all for a worthy cause. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Sunrise Association, and helping to support their important mission.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE PLAY IT FORWARD TENNIS EVENT