LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — It's spooky season in March at the Lexington Tennis Club — and that's by design.
Don't be surprised if you see Halloween costumes and masks at the Lexington Tennis Club in March. The club's annual charity tennis tournament, Pavo Loco, is celebrating its 13th year — and it falls on Friday the 13th.
The tournament originally started as an event around Thanksgiving — hence the turkey mascot — but has since evolved into an annual tradition with a different theme each year.
"We've just got our whole membership confused because we're doing Halloween at St. Paddy's Day with a turkey, which is our mascot," joked Pavo Loco board member Lana Stephens.
Members go all out with their costumes before taking the court.
"Generally, everyone dresses in costume. They take it off when they go to play, but they will go all out. You'll see masks and all sorts of things. It makes it very fun," said Stephens.
This year, the tournament carries extra meaning for the club's community.
"Tennis is great exercise, but it extends far beyond the court. We do life together. Particularly this year, we just lost one of our members unexpectedly, and the community just really circles around each other. So, we love that we do life together," Stephens said.
The funds raised benefit Kids Cancer Alliance, an organization focused on bringing families together as they navigate a cancer diagnosis. Donations will go to help families experiencing a pediatric cancer diagnosis in Kentucky.
"We're really trying to bring families together, so they don't feel like they are alone. We can truly be an alliance for them. The impact of cancer isn't just for the child. The siblings feel it, the parents feel it, the whole family from a psycho-social standpoint, so we want to offer programs that allow them to forget about cancer for a little bit, feel normal, and also connect with families on a similar journey," said Becca Crandall, the operations director for Kids Cancer Alliance.
You can take part in the fundraiser without ever picking up a racket. Text "TENNIS" to 243-725 by 8 p.m. Saturday to enter the raffle and auction. Monetary donations can also be made through that number. The Lexington Cancer Foundation is pledging to match monetary donations up to $6,000.
The tournament runs Friday through Sunday with around 200 players expected to participate. This year, the tournament's goal is to raise $20,000 for Kids Cancer Alliance.
