The Raleigh metro area welcomed athletes to the 3rd annual Special Olympics Tennis Tournament at NCSU’s J. W. Isenhour Tennis. Special athletes from across the state met for a 2-day tournament that included a western style hoedown dance on Saturday evening. The 42 registered players were supported by 250 volunteers from the local tennis community including the NCSU Women’s Tennis Team and their coach Hans Olsen. Tournament Referee was Kirstie Marx, the Director of Tennis, Special Olympics North Carolina.

The Tournament Directors were five local high school students:

• Ian Dohm, Cary Academy-Senior
• Macy Rashid, Green Hope -Senior
• Ashley Demsko-Apex-Senior
• Ally Graham- Home school-Junior
• Matt Gilman- St. David’s-Junior

They planned and organized the event and won grants, donations and sponsors to make the tournament no cost to the special competitors.

Photos:

Sponsors:

• Food
  
  • Breakfast Chick Fil-A, Harrison Avenue, Chick Fil-A Waverly Place,
  • Starbucks
  • Lunch Little Caesars, Cary
  • Dinner Daniels Pizza Pasta
• General Donations
  
  • NC Tennis Foundation
  • Western Wake Tennis Association
  • NC State University Isenhour Tennis Center
  • Creative Imaging in Cary
  • Swank Chiropractic
  • Wake Radiology
  • 2 private donations
• Accommodations
  
  • The athletes stayed at Embassy Suites in Cary
• Additional information on Kirstie Marx:
  
  • Director of tennis, Special Olympics North Carolina
  • Chair of the adaptive committee for NC Tennis
  • PTR professional for 16 years
  • Serves on the Rules Committee for Special Olympics International
  • Serves on the National Special Olympics committee