St. Croix Tennis Tournament Raises Funds for Cancer Support

The St. Croix tennis tournament that took over the courts this past weekend was never really about tennis. From September 10 through 13, the Tennis Club of St. Croix hosted the 5th Annual “Just Beat It!” Tennis Tournament, a mixed doubles event benefiting Cancer Support VI. This year’s event raised more than $40,000, with final numbers still coming in. Sea Glass Properties was one of the sponsors, and it was a good weekend to be on island.

What the St. Croix Tennis Tournament Weekend Looked Like

First, the weekend opened Thursday evening with a welcome reception, which set the tone for everything after it. Players and supporters met the people they would spend the next three days competing against. By Friday night the matches were underway, and the courts stayed busy through Saturday morning and again Saturday evening.

Finally, Sunday brought the finals. Competition ran in A and B divisions, so players at very different levels each found a bracket that fit. That format is a real part of why the event keeps growing. A newer player can sign up without feeling out of place, while stronger doubles teams still get matches that push them.

The group photo above was taken at the end, with players gathered at the net and the “Just Beat It!” banner planted at the sideline. It is an honest picture of what island events look like. A lot of people who already know each other, on one court, for a reason.

The Cause Behind the Rackets

Cancer Support VI is why the tournament exists. The organization provides financial assistance to cancer patients throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with cancer-related programs and patient support.

That work is harder here than it is stateside, and the reason is geography. Treatment frequently means travel, and travel means airfare, lodging, time away from work, and someone at home covering everything you are not there to cover. Those costs arrive all at once, for a family already absorbing a diagnosis. Direct financial assistance is not abstract in that situation. It is often the difference between making an appointment and missing it.

That is what makes this year’s total worth stating plainly. More than $40,000 came in, and the counting is not finished yet. In other words, it is not a symbolic number. It is flights booked, bills covered, and families that get to focus on treatment instead of logistics.

In fact, two board members launched the tournament in 2021. Five years later, it has become a fixture on the September calendar, and the field keeps getting bigger.

Why Sea Glass Properties Sponsors Events Like This

We sponsor local events because a brokerage’s work doesn’t stop at the closing table. After all, our agents live here. Their kids go to school here, and they shop where their clients shop. Backing an organization that helps Virgin Islanders through cancer treatment is not a marketing line. It is the ordinary obligation of doing business on a small island. A St. Croix tennis tournament that raises real money for local patients is exactly the kind of thing worth putting our name behind.

The tournament’s “Partners in Play” program gives businesses and individuals a way to support the event and be recognized on and off the courts. If your company has been looking for a local cause worth attaching your name to, this is a good one. There is still time to donate to Cancer Support VI.

Community Events Are Part of the St. Croix Lifestyle

People considering a move here usually ask about the obvious things first. For example, they ask about beaches, the cost of shipping a car, whether the internet holds up, and how hurricane season actually works. Those are fair questions, and we answer them all the time. Still, they tend to skip what most often decides whether someone stays.

A St. Croix tennis tournament that fills four days in September is a small window into how the island genuinely works. A club, a cause, a volunteer core, and a crowd show up. Newcomers who plug into something like this find their footing quickly. Those who don’t can find island living isolating, no matter how good the view is from the house.

Ultimately, that is worth understanding before you buy, not eighteen months after.

Where to Get Involved on St. Croix

The Tennis Club of St. Croix anchors the island’s tennis scene, and it runs league play, social play, and events like this St. Croix tennis tournament throughout the year. New residents often join within their first month because it is one of the fastest ways to meet people who aren’t your immediate neighbors.

If tennis is not your sport, the principle still holds. There is a running community, a dive community, a sailing calendar, and a steady rotation of fundraisers looking for hands. In short, pick one and commit to it. What this weekend does well- a small club, a real cause, and an open invitation- repeats across most of what happens on this island.

Looking Ahead to Next September

The 6th Annual “Just Beat It!” Tennis Tournament will come around next September. Meanwhile, registration details, sponsorship tiers, and the full schedule get posted at jbitennis.com as the date gets closer. Whether you play, sponsor, or just turn up Sunday for the finals, it is a weekend worth putting on the calendar.

A weekend like this is our honest answer to the question we field most often: what it is actually like to live on St. Croix. If that answer appeals to you, our team keeps a current view of St. Croix homes, condos, and land for sale, and we are glad to walk through neighborhoods, timelines, and what island life looks like past the first six months.

Congratulations to Cancer Support VI, the Tennis Club of St. Croix, and every player who turned out for this year’s St. Croix tennis tournament.