John McEnroe’s band kicked off its hour-long set last night at the U.S. Open hospitality tent with David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust,” and rocked through “Behind Blue Eyes” by the Who, and other classic rock favorites.

It wasn’t a center-court match, but it wasn’t a bad way to spend the cocktail hour of the City Parks Foundation benefit to raise funds for its year-round tennis instruction in neighborhood parks. The benefit will help support several hundred instructors teaching about 8,000 children between the ages of 5 and 16.

One of the most enthusiastic students taking lessons through City Parks Foundation is Candace Williamson, 15, of Rosedale, Queens.

Ms. Williamson, who attends St. Francis Preparatory School, has spent the summer playing tennis for four hours a day in City Parks Foundation classes. To do so, she takes lessons in three different city parks.

“The instructors are great. They know their tennis, they’re very patient, and they give us excellent drills,” Ms. Williamson, who plays the clarinet, is currently reading “The Great Gatsby,” and hopes to obtain a college scholarship for tennis, said.

Ms. Williamson liked having Mr. McEnroe play at the benefit, but as far as tennis champions go, she was more eager to meet James Blake and sisters Venus and Serena Williams. She already met Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at a City Parks Foundation event, she said. At the gala, she also met Billie Jean King, who presented her with an award for her commitment to tennis.

The event also honored an over-55 world champion, Robert Litwin, who only took up tennis seriously in his 30s. He is currently working as a hedge fund coach, teaching some of the lessons about performance and success he learned playing tennis. He likes to drop in at City Parks Foundation tennis lessons to work with students.

“I try to teach them how to be their best, because they already have great instructors teaching them how to hit the ball,” Mr. Litwin said. “What tennis is about is getting yourself into the right frame of mind so you get your performance up to what you’re capable of.”

Among those attending the benefit were City Parks Foundation co-chairmen Jean Troubh and David Moore, board members Harold Weinberger, Karen MacDonald, and Virginia Wade (a Wimbledon champion), the foundation’s executive director, David Rivel, and the executive director of the United States Tennis Association, Gordon Smith.

The event, attended by 350 people, raised more than $250,000.

agordon@nysun.com