Dress in vintage tennis garb to help Hoag

Clay Peterson and Johnny McCray have a sweet place in Costa Mesa. The backyard can accommodate about 300 to 400 people comfortably and features a tennis court and swimming pool.

So 10 years ago, when the guys and their friends were single twentysomethings, they decided they had to have a party — a big party with food, drink and a tennis tournament played with wooden racquets and vintage clothing.

Now they’ve grown — they have wives and families — and their outrageous tennis tournament and party has grown and morphed into a fundraiser for the Hoag Cancer Center. The annual event, which for the past couple of years has seen about 1,000 people meander through the yard and $22,000 in donations, was turned into a charity event after Peterson’s mother died of cancer, spending her last days at Hoag. McCray also lost a friend to the disease about the same time.

It’s open to the public, and a donation of $20 is suggested for admission. People are also encouraged to volunteer their time to set up and help out during the tournament if they can.

The tennis tournament is open to a limited number of doubles teams, any mixtures of ages and genders, and preregistration is preferred. The price is $50 per person to compete.

“It’s not necessarily all about the tennis. The skill level is average at best,” said Shane Baum, who was instrumental in starting the fundraiser.

A costume contest will also be held and prizes will be awarded for the best player costume and the best spectator costume. Over the years, the event has bred some pretty dedicated devotees in this regard.

“There are guys that grow mustaches and side burns for months just to have an authentic Vitas Gerulaitis look,” Baum said.

The event, at 437 E. 20th St., starts at 8 a.m. Aug. 31. For more information or to sign up online, go to woodracquetclassic.com.