It’s a Racquet, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Private Foundation – Your Contributions are Tax Deductible
Join Us and Participate in Supporting
Free Hot Soup Kansas City
Please join us and participate in supporting Free Hot Soup Kansas City. They provide food and donations for the homeless. Following is a link to its Facebook page where its mission is explained more fully and you are provided with instructions on how to take part, such as by providing food, donations and personally participating in that process. Just click on the image:
September 1, 2020 Event for
National Alliance on Mental Health
It’s A Racquet founders Susan and Mark Murphy are celebrating their September birthdays to gain support to NAMI Johnson County and NAMI Kansas. To accomplish this we are joining forces with the tennis community at Overland Park-Genesis Health Club and Elite Tennis and Wellness Club. We are looking for donations to NAMI Johnson County and to add participants/donors for the NAMI Kansas Walk to be held in Topeka on Saturday October 10, 2020 at the West Ridge Mall.
By making a donation of at least $15 to NAMI you will be given a mental wellness gift bag and will be entered to win a tennis lesson by one of the highly renowned professionals at Genesis and Elite. Lessons are being given at Genesis by Thiago Santos and Michelle Hall and at Elite by John Shaw and Mike Wolf. You must be a member of the club where you are registering to win a lesson.

Winners of the free lessons are Genesis: Laurie Riley, and Brad Bicknell! Elite: Andrew Wimmer, Shannon Lyon, Sara McGuire and Karen Snyder! Congrats to them, and a huge thanks for all that donated.
You can still make a donation:
- Click on one of the links below to donate to NAMI Johnson County or register for the NAMI Walk -Team It’s a Racquet.
- Venmo your donation to @NAMI-JohnsonCountyKS
Email to itsaracquet2020@gmail.com if you or your company would like to work with us to host a virtual or other small event in celebration of a birthday or holiday to benefit NAMI.
January 18, 2020 Annual Event
The 2020 event was a fundraiser for mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
The event was held this year at Overland Park Racquet Club, 6800 W 91st St, Overland Park, KS 66212 on Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 6-10 pm
We had over 200 persons register and 174 attended.
We raised nearly $12,000 which went to our two named charities this year – National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-Kansas) and Johnson County Mental Health.
Tennis
Tennis players play three timed sets of doubles in a round robin format led by Jason Kane with no-ad scoring. After each set, your team moves up or down.
Pickleball & Ping-Pong
What to do between sets? Play ping-pong or pickleball, chat with your friends, make new friends, bid in the auction, or eat some yummy food.
Food
Kansas City Catering, Inc, graciously provided food for It’s a Racquet again this year. There will also be a cash bar.
Pro Exhibition
Our favorite pros played an exciting exhibition match!
Have Fun!
Everyone’s a winner! We played tennis, ping-pong, and pickleball while raising money for a great cause. All the money we raised went to JCMH and NAMI – Kansas.

Rules
Sign up with a partner or we can match you with someone.
You must be 18 or over.
This is for fun – thank you for being a good sport.
No refunds. It’s a charity fundraiser!

Why we began It’s a Racquet
Susan had been playing tennis for a few year and Mark was a sponsored racquetball player. They would join their groups of friends with a holiday party in December each year that Susan named Its a Racquet. After some long recoveries from illnesses in their family at different times, they decided to replant this event in the least active month of the year, and give back to the community which at the time was in shock after a widespread occurrence of teen suicides especially in the Olathe School District. Without much direction and trying to create more fun for their growing and wonderful tennis community, they originally chose the active JCMH organization and have progressed into the addition of NAMI-Kansas, and made this a more public event with 3 different Racquet activities, food and auction to raise awareness of mental health needs and suicide prevention.
Your online registrations support the ongoing commitment for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Kansas.
We couldn’t host It’s a Racquet without these wonderful sponsors:
Overland Park Racquet Club
Jason Kane, General Manager Overland Park
Fantastic Space and Organizing Players
Thank you to our donors for supporting It’s a Racquet!
Anonymous
Gunderson Family
Scott Machovsky
Perfection Paperhanging
Phyllis Norman
Anchinlema Zewde
Thank you for supporting these persons and businesses who donated auction items for our event.
Ashley Collichio
Salon Z-Amika Products
Hoopla Nails
Gift Certificate
Bach Aria Soloists
2 Tickets to April / Marsalis Concert
Will Shields
3 months Membership
68 Inside Sports
Allen Meyer
Yonex Racquet
Red Door Grill
Gift Certificate
Evolve
Gift Certificate
ensemble
Gift Certificate

Ron Herman
AMC Tickets
Big Dave’s Liquor
Gift Certificate
Kelli Alldredge
1 month Unlimited Personal Training Classes
Panera
Weekly Bread for a Year
Dan Johnson
90 minute Astronomy Program
Monarch Chair Massage
Jessica Lugo
2 one hour Massages
Frank King
One Hour Ladies Group Self Defense Class
Coach’s Bar and Grill
Fan Basket
Marco Rodriguez
Drill Class and Lesson-OPRC
2 sets of 4 tickets (Parterre)
April 4, 2020
April 18, 2020
Chicken and Pickle
Pickleball and Appetizers
GreatLifeKCStay and Play
Osage National Package
Family Tree Nursery
Gift Certificate
Proforma IDology Marketing Group
Loras Heck
Golf Bag/Ladies Bags/Cooler
Jason Kane
Drill Class and Lesson-OPRC
Manos Wine
Chiefs and Royals Etched Wine Bottles
Clock Tower Bakery
Gift Certificate
The Coterie Theatre
4 Tickets
John Craig
Kerry George
Adidas Hoodies
Sharon Blickensderfer
The Sports Legends of Kansas City Limited Edition Lithograph & a
Framed Picture of Tom Watson Pebble Beach 1982
clothology:135
Gift Certificate
Hempworx
Loras Heck
CBD Natural Health Products
KeepAppy
Simms Family
3 Family Packs, Lifetime Memberships
Becky Zehr
60 minute Massage
Scoby Masters
Kombucha Tea-Biotics
Gift Bag and Certificate
Holiday Inn & Suites – Overland Park West
One Night Stay with Breakfast