The Jonathan Bankhead Memorial Smash Cancer tennis tournament and Vanessa Bankhead’s family were recognized by the South Carolina Tennis Association with its 2024 Cam Littlejohn Community Service Award. The award was presented at the USTA South Carolina Annual Meeting in November 2024.
The event has contributed more than $113,000 to SCOA Cares Foundation and will be held at Rockbridge April 25-27, 2025.
USTA SC’s award is presented annually to the organization, facility, or individual that demonstrated strong leadership, outstanding program offerings, volunteer recruitment, and community relationships while growing the game of tennis.
All donations and sponsor dollars from the memorial event are contributed to SCOA Cares, the Foundation affiliated with South Carolina Oncology Associates. The money contributed to SCOA Cares goes toward unrestricted grants for basic needs to help SCOA patients and their families.
“My family has been beyond blessed with friends and family and a special kind of local support that not everyone has,” Bankhead said. “We wanted to make sure we made options available for people who did not have that support.”
The event continues to be one of the largest tennis tournaments in the Columbia area and one of the largest in the state. The tournament weekend draws hundreds of players and spectators from multiple states and the Columbia and Lexington areas. The City of Forest Acres has supported the event with a generous operating grant since its inception.
“As honored as my children and I are to receive the community service award, it is hardly our award to accept alone,” Bankhead said. “First and foremost, the volunteer committee spends countless hours planning and fundraising.
“Our incredible sponsors and the tennis players, who have come from all over the Southeast and as far away as Texas, are critical. To every person who has donated money, silent auction items, and time as a volunteer, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. None of this would be possible without you.”
Player registration for the 2025 tournament will open closer to the tournament date. To learn more about how to sponsor or participate, please visit https://www.therockbridgeclub.com/jbmsct or follow @smashcancertourney on Instagram.
