Asheville’s post-Helene efforts and recovery took the national center court stage on Sunday, February 2, with Stars Servin’ Up Love (SSUL) Presented by Explore Asheville.
The celebrity tennis benefit for Western North Carolina featured tennis greats Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jessica Pegula (#9 WTA-ranked player), and Emma Navarro (#6 WTA-ranked player), and celebrities Michael Kosta of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Jeff Probst of CBS’ Survivor, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, and Esai Morales of Mission: Impossible and Ozark. The event also featured special guest appearances from Tennis Channel fan-favorites Andrew Krasny, Chanda Rubin, and Russ Thaler.
The event included a near-capacity crowd with national broadcasting on Tennis Channel with additional regional coverage on My40, a Sinclair Broadcasting affiliate program. Official SSUL Photos can be found here.
Stars Servin’ Up Love Presented by Explore Asheville has generated over $1 million in post-Hurricane Helene ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, and auction sales. 100% of all net proceeds will benefit the Always Asheville Fund, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, and Asheville Tennis Association. The event was developed by recent WNC transplant Jim Curley, a 12-year former Tournament Director for the U.S. Open who moved to Asheville in 2022. “I was inspired by how Luke Combs and Eric Church joined their friends in the music business to create Concert For Carolina. That made me realize that I could contact my friends and business associates from my 30+ years in professional tennis to create a celebrity benefit that supports relief efforts in my new hometown,” said Jim Curley, Stars Servin’ Up Love Founder.
As Western North Carolina continues to heal and recover from post-Hurricane Helene’s generational weather damage, Asheville continues to feel the long-term impact of the storm on the area’s travel and hospitality industry and creative small business community. “As the official destination marketing organization, Explore Asheville was proud to step up as the presenting sponsor for Stars Servin’ Up Love just as we did for Concert for Carolina,” said Vic Isley, president & CEO for Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “From the stars to the volunteers who contributed their time to make this meaningful and fun benefit event a reality, we are heartened by the continued outpouring of love for our region. Explore Asheville is here to support our creative community and have more events in the works to bring to our Blue Ridge mountain region.”
Events like Stars Servin’ Up Love not only generate much-needed funds for the people in need but also serve as an example of Western North Carolina’s continued resiliency. As Asheville and the surrounding areas re-open, music and sporting events remain a powerful generator of economic activity among locals, out-of-market guests, and Asheville businesses. “Once again the power of sports tourism was on full display and this time in our greatest hour of need,” said Chris Smith, President of The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. “Sports tourism and the events it brings to our area continue to have an incredible economic impact on businesses, hotels, and restaurants. On this occasion, much-needed funds are being raised for area charities. Events like this provide a sense of community engagement and social cohesion and create memories that last a lifetime. So, kudos to Explore Asheville, Ingles, and a cast of others, including Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville staff and numerous volunteers, that helped make this happen.”
The event marks the first large-scale event for the ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, the largest music and sports arena within 250 miles of Asheville, since Hurricane Helene. During the storm and for months afterward, the venue transitioned into an emergency shelter for unhoused and displaced persons, set up strategic water and supply distribution centers, housed local, regional, and national emergency personnel, and served over 30,000 prepared meals to workers, nonprofit groups, and local staff in the first 45 days following the storm. In 2025, the venue looks forward to returning to concerts such as six sold-out nights of Billy Strings and world-class sporting events including the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball and Volleyball Championships. “We’re proud that the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville can be a keystone in the process of recovery by helping bring business to the community and with this event helping raise more than $1 million and more,” said Chris Corl, General Manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.
Even though the Stars Servin’ Up Love event has passed, its mission continues through its outreach and website where donations and live auctions continue virtually. For more information about getting involved, donating, or bidding on auction items, visit StarsServinUpLove.com.
Written by Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.