The West Tennessee Invitational is a weekend packed full of tennis, friendly competition, and fundraising to support the health and well-being of babies and children in West Tennessee. Hosted at the Jackson Tennis Center, the tournament is an annual summer favorite for tennis players in Jackson and surrounding areas.

The tournament was born out of a conversation between Doug Roth and other members of Ayers Children’s Medical Center (ACMC) Advisory Board. As an avid tennis player and a previous organizer of another tournament, Doug suggested hosting a tennis tournament for the community to bring in players from across West Tennessee and connect local businesses to the cause. Everyone was immediately on board, and the first West Tennessee Invitational was played in September 2018.

Since its inception, the West Tennessee Invitational has raised over $35,000 to benefit the Ayers Children’s Medical Center. With the funds raised, the advisory board has been able to direct support to special projects for ACMC, including music therapy, appreciation lunches for ACMC staff, signage for the pediatric floor, and sleep sacks for newborns, resulting in a $46,000 impact.

The ACMC Advisory Board is a group of Foundation volunteers from the community dedicated to fundraising and providing other support to ACMC. Board members work closely with Foundation staff to organize events, like the West Tennessee Invitational, and they listen to updates and needs from the ACMC staff.

“The commitment from advisory board members and Foundation staff to raise awareness and funds to improve the lives of children in West Tennessee excites me. I have gained a connection with fellow board members and love seeing how each member brings their own thoughts and ideas to the table every time we meet to make our community stronger.” – Doug Roth, ACMC Board Member, Jackson Market President at Cadence Bank

The next West Tennessee invitational is June 9-11, 2023 at the Jackson Tennis Center. Register to play at jwttatennis.com or contact Linda Swope at (731) 431-0712.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Sponsorships for the tournament are available from $250 to $2,000. View our sponsorship opportunities here or contact Haley Wildridge at (731) 984-2146 or haley.wildridge@wth.org for more information.

Thank you to Doug Roth, Linda Swope at the Jackson-West Tennessee Tennis Association, and all of our ACMC Advisory Board members for their help before, during, and after the West Tennessee Invitational.

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