We are thrilled to announce that the St. Jude Classic is celebrating its 19th anniversary
this year! Last year’s event was a remarkable success, highlighted by the introduction of a pickleball
event that brought together an incredible community of players, sponsors, and volunteers. Thanks
to the generosity of our sponsors, we proudly surpassed the $788,000 in total donations to St. Jude,
culminating in a net record donation of $76,400 last year. Together, we have raised an impressive
$788,135 over the past 18 years.
This year’s tournament is set to take place from September 17-20, 2026, and we anticipate
welcoming more than 300 enthusiastic players, generous sponsors, and dedicated volunteers.
The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures and means of
prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through groundbreaking research and compassionate
treatment. In line with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is ever denied treatment
based on race, religion, or a family’s financial situation. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for
treatment, travel, housing, or food, allowing them to focus solely on what matters most: helping their
child thrive. Since its inception 60 years ago, treatments developed at St. Jude have contributed to
increasing the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to over 80%. All net proceeds from the
St. Jude Classic benefit St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
We are excited to announce a HUGE SILENT AUCTION featuring around 130 spectacular
items, including a $500 Visa gift card, a $200 gift card to Lewis Gifts, and an array of original art, fine
jewelry, and much more! Our online auction is live, and we invite everyone to participate and support
St. Jude. There’s no need to be present to win! Go to www.stjudeclassic.info for the link.
Join us for a weekend filled with tennis, pickleball, delicious food, Hit For Prizes, and a
heartfelt tribute to our young royalty, Princess Lilly Allen (17 years old, Shreveport). She has received
treatment at St. Jude and is now cancer-free! We are honored to celebrate her as we kick off this
special event dedicated to raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Title Sponsor for 2026, Ivan Smith
Furniture, for their continued support.
Let’s make this year’s St. Jude Classic a memorable celebration of hope, community,
and compassion!