Notable Professional Squash Charity Events

This report compiles professional-level and high-profile squash charity events worldwide from 2020 through 2025, including both past events and scheduled upcoming ones.

Each entry lists the event name, date and location, organizers, beneficiaries, and funds raised where available. Major recurring fundraisers and special one-off exhibitions are included, while purely local or grassroots club fundraisers are excluded. Key details are summarized below, followed by sectioned descriptions for each event.

Summary of Key Squash Charity Events (2020-2025)

Asia-Pacific Charity Event

Wing Ding Charity Squash Tournament (Hong Kong)

One of the world's largest squash charity tournaments, the Wing Ding is a costumed, team-based squash marathon held annually at the Hong Kong Football Club. It has a 25-year history and supports Operation Santa Claus, a major Hong Kong year-end charity drive.

The 2021 event, held on November 20, 2021, raised HK$398,110 for Operation Santa Claus, and the 2022 edition raised about HK$413,000. Dozens of teams of players, often in fancy dress, compete in quickfire relay matches.

The Wing Ding has been recognized as one of Hong Kong's top sports fundraisers, contributing over HK$1.2 million to Operation Santa Claus in a single year and over HK$8 million cumulatively by 2015. It is organized by the HKFC Squash Section, with Tim Everest as the long-time organizer.

The beneficiary is Operation Santa Claus, which supports multiple local charities. The tournament continues as an annual tradition, with the 25th edition held in November 2023.

North America Charity Events

Urban Squash Fundraisers (USA)

Several U.S. nonprofit urban squash programs hold high-profile annual fundraisers involving squash pros, alumni, and benefactors.

SquashBusters Derby (Boston, MA): a pro-am team tournament each spring supporting SquashBusters' youth programs. Players, both amateurs and invited pros, fundraise to compete, often backed by corporate sponsors. It consistently raises over $1 million each year.

The 2019 Derby raised $1.47 million, and the 2025 Derby topped $1.5 million. Styled after the Kentucky Derby, it is SquashBusters' largest funding source and has featured players such as Peter Nicol, Jonathon Power, and Amanda Sobhy on court. It is organized by SquashBusters, founded by Greg Zaff, and benefits the SquashBusters after-school squash and education program in Boston and Lawrence.

StreetSquash Cup (New York, NY): a premier team fundraising tournament in New York. In 2023 the 15th annual Cup set a record by raising nearly $3.2 million to support StreetSquash's Harlem youth program. Teams of supporters compete in both squash and fundraising.

In 2024, the 16th annual Cup brought in about $1.1 million. The StreetSquash Cup has become a marquee squash charity event, crucial for the program's operating budget. It is organized by StreetSquash and benefits StreetSquash's free youth enrichment program in Harlem.

CitySquash Bash (Bronx, NY): CitySquash, serving youth in the Bronx, holds an annual gala known as The Bash. This charity evening typically attracts over 500 guests, including finance and squash community leaders. The Bash raises the majority of the funds needed to support the organization each year. It is organized by CitySquash and benefits CitySquash's after-school squash and academics program.

SquashSmarts (Philadelphia, PA): SquashSmarts is a Philadelphia urban squash nonprofit that combines academic tutoring, squash instruction, and mentorship for public school students. The program marked its 25th anniversary in 2024, including a celebration at the U.S. Open Squash Championships. It is organized by SquashSmarts and benefits its youth programs in Philadelphia.

Other Notable U.S. Events and Initiatives

Go Live to Squash Cancer (virtual pro exhibition, 2020): in October 2020, amid COVID lockdowns, the Squash Doubles Association (SDA) Pro Tour partnered with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for a week-long virtual squash fundraiser. It featured a live-streamed exhibition with top doubles pros.

The event invited players everywhere to play or be active to raise money for cancer research and patient support at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Over the week of October 24-31, 2020, the campaign raised $36,249, which was 181 percent of its $20,000 goal. It was organized by the SDA Pro Tour and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center, and benefited the Dartmouth Cancer Center, funding cancer research and patient services.

Motor City Open Silent Auction (Bloomfield Hills, MI): the Motor City Open, a long-running PSA World Tour event held in Bloomfield Hills in the Detroit area, incorporates a charity component. Each year during the pro tournament, a silent auction is held, with proceeds going to charity, in recent years benefiting the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

This auction, combined with pro-am doubles and junior clinics, turns the pro event into a charity fundraiser for cancer causes. It is hosted by the Birmingham Athletic Club in partnership with the Karmanos Institute, and benefits the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Canada

The Gamble Charity Doubles (Vancouver, BC): the Gamble 100 and 75 is an annual squash doubles tournament at the Vancouver Racquets Club, structured with age-based handicap divisions. It doubles as a charity event honoring the late Ross "The Rabbit" Gamble, a VRC member.

In December 2022, the 32nd annual event saw 36 players compete and participate in a Calcutta auction and donations, resulting in over C$5,000 raised for Autism Speaks Canada. The event ran December 7-11, 2022. A portion of entry fees and auction proceeds go directly to the charity. It is organized by the VRC and the Gamble Tournament Committee, and benefits Autism Speaks Canada.

Europe Charity Events

Northern Joe Cup (Manchester, UK)

A PSA-supported tournament with a personal cause, the Northern Joe Cup was launched in 2021 in memory of Joe Rawcliffe, a squash player who died of a brain tumour in January 2020 at the age of 26. His family and the local squash community created the event to raise funds and awareness for The Brain Tumour Charity.

By its third edition in November 2023, it had expanded into a week-long squash festival, including a professional draw, junior clinics, local league matches, and pro exhibitions. The 2021 event alone raised over £10,000, and over its first two years the Northern Joe Cup raised almost £20,000 for brain tumour research and support.

It is organized by Joe's father, Richard Rawcliffe, with support from the squash community and the PSA, and is held at the Fairways Lodge and Cheetham Hill squash clubs in North Manchester. The beneficiary is The Brain Tumour Charity, raising awareness of brain tumour symptoms and funding research in Joe's memory.

Battle of Britain Charity Exhibition (Huddersfield, UK)

In August 2025, the Huddersfield Lawn Tennis and Squash Club hosted an exhibition dubbed the Battle of Britain to fundraise for local charities. The one-night event on August 9, 2025, featured four of Britain's top professional players, including world number four Joel Makin and rising player Jonah Bryant, competing in an exhibition. Former top-20 pros Patrick Rooney and Declan James also participated.

Proceeds from tickets, priced at £30 each, and sponsorship were designated for two charities: Kirkwood Hospice, a local hospice care provider, and Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. The goal was to raise roughly £800 for each charity, approximately £1,600 in total. It is organized by the Huddersfield Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, and benefits Kirkwood Hospice and Guide Dogs.

Zenit Ukraine Open (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the squash community organized the Zenit Ukraine Open 2022 as a charity tournament to support war relief efforts. Traditionally held in Odesa as the Zenit Black Sea Open, the event was moved to Kyiv for August 27-28, 2022, for safety during the war.

Players from across Ukraine and neighboring countries, including Romania, Moldova, Lithuania, and the United States, participated over two days. Funds raised by the tournament were directed to charity aid, including the Popko Brothers Foundation's "Heat the Ukrainian fighter" initiative to purchase heating systems for Ukrainian soldiers.

It is organized by the Squash Federation of Ukraine and the Popko Brothers Foundation. The beneficiary is humanitarian and military aid for Ukrainians affected by the war.

2022 WSF World Doubles Championship (Glasgow, Scotland)

The WSF World Doubles Squash Championships 2022, held in April 2022 in Glasgow, incorporated a charitable partnership. Heart Research UK's Heart of Scotland Appeal was the official charity partner of the event.

Throughout the week, the venue featured Heart of Scotland branding and a text-to-donate code on screens, encouraging spectators and players to support cardiovascular health research. The partnership aimed to leverage the event's visibility to raise awareness and funds for fighting heart disease in Scotland.

It is organized by the World Squash Federation and Scottish Squash, and partnered with Heart Research UK. No specific amount was announced, but the campaign allowed the squash community to contribute via donations during the championship.

Global Initiatives

World Squash Day (Worldwide)

World Squash Day is an annual global day of squash activity and charity, typically held in October, uniting clubs and players in support of good causes and sport development. It was founded in 2001 by Alan Thatcher and a group of squash-playing friends as a memorial to squash players killed in the September 11 attacks in New York.

World Squash Day has continued to blend social squash events with charitable fundraising on a worldwide scale. Each year, the World Squash Day team, endorsed by the WSF and PSA, encourages clubs to hold open days, marathons, or exhibition matches tied to fundraising.

World Squash Day officially partnered with UNICEF in 2015 and 2016, with various squash-a-thons and events raising over £18,000 to help disadvantaged children. In recent years, campaigns have raised money for the PSA Foundation as well as local charities.

World Squash Day serves as a global rallying point where the squash community comes together to grow the game and give back, whether through supporting youth programs, health charities, or other causes. Each participating club or group often chooses its own beneficiary, making it a worldwide mosaic of squash philanthropy.