On Saturday, Sept. 19, 52 ladies participated in the Swing for the Cure Tennis Tournament at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club (BHYC) and raised money to support Rockaway resident Casey Gallagher in her battle against cancer.
“We do this day to honor them. To support friends who are battling any form of cancer,” Linda Intrabartola Humphrey said. “We used to give money to Susan G. Komen but so many people we know, we play tennis with, friends and neighbors are battling through cancer, we decided to keep it here in the neighborhood.”
In 2021, Gallagher was diagnosed with ocular/uveal melanoma, a rare type of eye cancer that occurs when the melanocytes in the eye become cancerous. Melanocytes are the cells that produce the pigment that gives color to your eyes, skin and hair. In December 2023, she received news that the cancer had metastasized to her liver, yet Gallagher battles on.
“There is no neighborhood like this neighborhood, like Rockaway. In a time of need, people always step up,” Humphrey said. This year’s Swing for the Cure was organized by Humphrey and Joanna Ostrander but it is always a large group effort. Many people solicit donations, wrap raffle baskets and decorate the BHYC grounds ahead of the tournament.
Nineteen years in, participation in Swing for the Cure continues to grow every year. “Tennis is a great sport. It’s social. It’s healthy,” Humphrey said. “And the best reward is to help someone with cancer.”
As for the tennis, matches ran all day on the two courts at BHYC. Linda Intrabartola Humphrey and Katherine Dennis won the Advanced division with Lynn Duffy and Maryann Markle as runners-up. In the Advanced/Intermediate division, Melissa Murphy and Katelyn O’Grady triumphed with Theresa Sullivan and Fern Bren finishing second and Kelley Brooke and Heather Belovin third. Jessica Kear and Marie Potter took home top honors in the Intermediate division with Jackie Blum and Janet Urciuoli as runners-up. In the Beginner division, Katelyn Potter and Olivia Stack were the winners. Annie Intrabartola and Jenn Hirsch finished second.
On Saturday evening, the Candy Shop Band performed at the afterparty on the BHYC Foggy Wharf Deck. Wood-fired pizza was served.
Next up for these ladies is the Catch a Cure Family Walk/Run on Sunday, October 4. In conjunction with the Rockaway Track Club, this event supports residents of Rockaway, Breezy Point, and Broad Channel who have cancer or whose family members have cancer. It honors survivors and remembers those who were lost.
