DECEMBER 22, 2010
Special Olympics tennis event serves up day of fun
Athletes earn gold medals due to sponsors and participants with golden hearts
SCOTTSDALE – On Dec. 4, Troon Country Club hosted its first Special Olympics Tennis Fun Day, drawing nearly 100 athletes, volunteers, sponsors and other attendees. The event, coordinated by the club’s tennis pro, Mark Pachtner, raised $5,200, the highest amount in Pachtner’s 10-year involvement.
“We had such a great response to this event,” said Pachtner. “This is a very generous and heart-filled community. I’m proud to be part of it, and to help demonstrate how coming together can have such an important impact on others’ lives.”
The Special Olympics athletes were shown basic tennis skills and how to play the game. They also enjoyed exploring a fire engine, courtesy of the Scottsdale Fire Department.
At the awards luncheon, emceed by radio and TV personality, Dan Davis, sponsors in attendance presented each athlete a tennis racquet and a gold medal. Sponsors were awarded plaques and T-shirts autographed by the athletes and volunteers.
The event was sponsored by www.filltheneedfoundation.org, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Scottsdale-based Southwest Tennis Foundation (USTA), Tucson-based Dave’s 1-2-3 Tennis, Pachtner Tennis Academy based at Troon Country Club, Kiwanis and Saguaro Grille, both of Carefree. Troon Country Club members donated tennis racquets and other supplies, as well as volunteer time.
Pachtner has held the Tennis Fun Day event in other states throughout the past 10 years, but was especially enthused with this year’s event. “In my 10 years of running the Tennis Fun Day, I have not had as much fun myself as I did planning this one,” he said. “It’s amazing what can happen when people come together to brighten up another’s day.”