All skill levels are invited to participate in a tennis fundraiser to benefit Riley Hospital for Children and the KC Riley Kids Fund. The event will take place Saturday, July 19, at the Warsaw Community High School tennis courts, 1 Tiger Lane, Warsaw.

Matches will begin at 8 a.m. for doubles and singles, and courts are assigned hourly. Donations for one hour of court time will be $25 each for adult doubles partners, $50 for adult singles players and $15 for youth players under 12.

All participants are encouraged to set up their own matches. If anyone is without a doubles partner or singles opponent they can be paired up with someone based on their skill level. The deadline to register is July 12 and all court times will be assigned prior to the event via email. All those who pay to participate will receive an event T-shirt.

The event was planned by Camille Kerlin, who has a special place in her heart for Riley Hospital.

“I just wanted to give back to Riley Hospital because they’ve done a lot for me in my life,” she explained.

Kerlin was born prematurely, at 29 weeks gestation. She weighed just over 2 pounds and was diagnosed with transposition of the great vessels in her heart, a double outlet right ventricle and a hole between the ventricles.

On the day she was born, she had her first heart surgery. She was the first infant at Riley to live with this procedure to provide easier blood flow. After the first, she had more surgeries when she was 6 weeks old, 2, 7 and 14 years old. In addition, she has also been diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis, which is an infection in her heart and caused her to be admitted to the hospital.

An artificial conduit was placed inside her heart, and is something that will have to be replaced throughout her life. When she contracted the bacterial endocarditis, it affected the conduit, and she had to have another one put in.

Riley Hospital made it possible for her to recover from her diagnosis and still make it back in time to play some of her sophomore year tennis season in 2013. Kerlin said that she chose tennis because it allows her small breaks to help keep her heart rate down, unlike many other sports.

Kerlin asks any interested businesses to join her in sponsoring this event. The name of businesses who help fund the event will be placed on the back of the T-shirt.

For more information, or to register for the event, go to www.racquetsforriley.com or contact Camille Kerlin at 574-267-2120.