With the 2022-23 school year well under way, the Austin Hatcher Foundation Teen Ambassadors have been hard at work volunteering at events and working at the foundation’s Educational Advancement Center in an effort to help families affected by pediatric cancer. When a group of the Teen Ambassadors realized that they all were tennis players from different local schools, they put their minds together and decided to create a tennis fundraiser to benefit the foundation, and Hit It for Hatch was born. The group of organizers include Baylor sophomores Claudia Finlay and Caroline Stickley, Chattanooga Christian School sophomores Kathryn Leavengood, Zoe Osborn and Libby Pooler, and McCallie sophomores Drew Holland and Arjun Patel.
Under the guidance of parent advisor Tiffany Holland, the group spent the last six months planning the fundraiser from the ground up. Each ambassador picked a leadership role, and the group laid out a timeline to bring its vision to life. From picking a name, designing a logo, securing a location, budgeting expenses, setting goals, planning the event format, creating a flyer and soliciting sponsorships and participants, the group has taken responsibility for every aspect. “We have all had fun working together,” said Caroline Stickley, who has served as the group’s secretary. “While I thought it was hard to ask for sponsorships, we have been amazed at how we were able to reach our fundraising goal and set a new one.” Patel, who designed the event logo, was excited to put his skills to work. “Art has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Through the Austin Hatcher Foundation, I can spread the awareness of pediatric cancer while doing what I love,” he said.
When Tiffany agreed to oversee the project as the parent advisor, she did so with the caveat that the ambassadors would be the ones doing the work, not her. “I suspect that initially the group was focused on the fun aspects of planning a tennis fundraiser and likely didn’t realize all the behind-the-scenes work that is involved in creating this type of event. They all joined this committee with knowledge and love for the game of tennis, but I do not think that they expected to learn so many relevant business and life skills along the way: art and design; digital marketing; creating and sending invoices; budgeting; not to mention contacting businesses about sponsorships,” Tiffany said. “Watching them meet every challenge is all that anyone could ask for! I am so proud of all they have accomplished.”
The inaugural Hit It for Hatch presented by Sawrie Orthodontics and Mountain View Auto Group will take place on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at McCallie’s Strang-Voges tennis facility. Hit It for Hatch is a tennis mixer with a doubles up/down format. There is no need to sign up with a partner, as players will be switching partners throughout the event. All participants will receive a t-shirt and overall winners from each flight will receive a prize. There are four flights throughout the day, including two flights for adults, one for middle school students and one for high school students.
To register to play in the inaugural Hit It for Hatch, volunteer at the event or donate, please visit hatcherfoundation.org/hititforhatch, or use take a scan the QR code above with your smart phone. For more information about the tournament or the Austin Hatcher Foundation’s Teen Ambassador Program, please email [email protected].
by Jenny Stickley
Under the guidance of parent advisor Tiffany Holland, the group spent the last six months planning the fundraiser from the ground up. Each ambassador picked a leadership role, and the group laid out a timeline to bring its vision to life. From picking a name, designing a logo, securing a location, budgeting expenses, setting goals, planning the event format, creating a flyer and soliciting sponsorships and participants, the group has taken responsibility for every aspect. “We have all had fun working together,” said Caroline Stickley, who has served as the group’s secretary. “While I thought it was hard to ask for sponsorships, we have been amazed at how we were able to reach our fundraising goal and set a new one.” Patel, who designed the event logo, was excited to put his skills to work. “Art has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Through the Austin Hatcher Foundation, I can spread the awareness of pediatric cancer while doing what I love,” he said.
When Tiffany agreed to oversee the project as the parent advisor, she did so with the caveat that the ambassadors would be the ones doing the work, not her. “I suspect that initially the group was focused on the fun aspects of planning a tennis fundraiser and likely didn’t realize all the behind-the-scenes work that is involved in creating this type of event. They all joined this committee with knowledge and love for the game of tennis, but I do not think that they expected to learn so many relevant business and life skills along the way: art and design; digital marketing; creating and sending invoices; budgeting; not to mention contacting businesses about sponsorships,” Tiffany said. “Watching them meet every challenge is all that anyone could ask for! I am so proud of all they have accomplished.”
The inaugural Hit It for Hatch presented by Sawrie Orthodontics and Mountain View Auto Group will take place on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at McCallie’s Strang-Voges tennis facility. Hit It for Hatch is a tennis mixer with a doubles up/down format. There is no need to sign up with a partner, as players will be switching partners throughout the event. All participants will receive a t-shirt and overall winners from each flight will receive a prize. There are four flights throughout the day, including two flights for adults, one for middle school students and one for high school students.
To register to play in the inaugural Hit It for Hatch, volunteer at the event or donate, please visit hatcherfoundation.org/hititforhatch, or use take a scan the QR code above with your smart phone. For more information about the tournament or the Austin Hatcher Foundation’s Teen Ambassador Program, please email [email protected].
by Jenny Stickley
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