|
Dear KTC Community Members,
Incredible as it may seem, we are halfway through a very memorable 2022 season! With the club's grand reopening and doubles tournaments behind us, we look forward to fully enjoying our new clubhouse, and to preparing for the upcoming Singles Championships beginning Wednesday, August 17th.
Scroll down to register for the Singles Tournament and to read about the hugely successful Tennis Ball which included a very special service award announcement. We also give you a full report on the always entertaining Men's and Women's Doubles Championships. Plus, we're announcing a clearance sale event on all in-stock KTC logo apparel!
|
|
KTC Tennis Ball a smashing success
On a glorious Saturday evening in early July, more than 100 KTC members and guests gathered at the club for an evening of good food, live entertainment and dancing under the glittering lights strung around court seven. Not just our usual KTC social, this was the ‘party of all parties’ and a momentous occasion marking the grand opening of our newly restored clubhouse.
In the lead up to the gala, as the ‘party committee’ made their final preparations and the Anglin Group put finishing touches on the clubhouse, the stress level was sky high among the organizers, since the city had not yet granted our occupancy permit. Just 24 hours prior to the event, we breathed a huge sigh of relief when we finally got the go ahead. On Saturday evening, the clubhouse doors were open to all, and guests explored the spacious modernized changerooms, large upper veranda and second floor clubroom, and they sat outside on the much expanded lower deck.
And what an evening it was! With the emphasis on entertainment and fun, activities got underway at 5 pm and we’re told that many people were still up on the dance floor well past midnight. Since this was an historic occasion in many ways, there were a host of people to thank and acknowledge, including board members past and present. As dinner was winding down, Alma Thayer, our president, then Jason Taylor and Bob Goddard, co-chairs of the Clubhouse Working Group, each offered brief remarks to express KTC’s deepest appreciation to all the people who helped bring the clubhouse project to fruition.
In her remarks, Alma noted that the new clubhouse was the culmination of many years of planning and hard work by successive boards and would not have been successful without the tremendous support of members. She acknowledged the exceptional contributions of the Clubhouse Working Group (Jason Taylor, Bob Goddard and Doug Bowie), the fundraising team (Donna Lounsbury, Jason Taylor and Viki Andrevska and Team Corrigan (Tracey and John) who in the final months of construction, attended to so many finishing details including assembly of all the cabinetry. Jason Taylor then spoke about the importance of the clubhouse to our club’s vibrant and successful future and thanked members and friends for their support of our fundraising effort with close to $200,000 raised to date. He offered special thanks to past presidents Paula Loh and Chloe Wilson, and current treasurer Taco Meuter and president Alma Thayer, all of whom have dedicated so much time and effort to the betterment of the club. The beautiful new donor wall, in the foyer of the clubhouse, acknowledges those who contributed to the campaign. Then Bob Goddard, co-chair of the CWG, offered a moving tribute to Doug Bowie, presenting him with the Outstanding Service award (see below) on behalf of the KTC Board.
KTC honours long time member Doug Bowie
with Outstanding Service Award
|
|
A highlight of the opening gala was the presentation of the inaugural KTC Outstanding Service Award to Doug Bowie in recognition of his decades of exceptional contributions and service. As Bob noted, Doug – a member for more than 40 years and on the KTC board for much of that time – has such a long list of achievements, it’s impossible to enumerate them all.
His leadership as president changed the course of the club’s future with the introduction of the KTC Junior Camps in 1990 which are still going strong, providing both a steady revenue stream and introducing our great game to countless numbers of kids. At another turning point in the Club’s history when Queen’s owned the KTC property and wanted to sell it and evict us as tenants, Doug led the negotiations which ended with KTC buying the property and securing its future.
More recently his impact as chair of the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee and as member of the Clubhouse Working Group have been instrumental in the completion first of the courts, lights and fencing project (2020) and now the restored KTC clubhouse. While Doug stepped down from the board last fall, he nonetheless managed and steered every aspect of the construction project as KTC’s on-the-ground point person with Anglin. Since last fall, he has dedicated literally hundreds of hours to this endeavour.
Surprised and stunned by this announcement, but fortunately not speechless, Doug graciously accepted the award and acknowledged others in the crowd, including John and Joan McFarlane and Neil and Mary Neasmith, who decades earlier had paved the way for the club’s success. Thank you Doug from all of us. We know that you will continue to be involved for years to come.
|
|
Clubhouse Campaign winds down BUT….
We welcome members’ donations to help refurbish our new home
We are now at the stage of winding down the campaign, but we are making a final pitch now for your help with refurbishing our beautiful new clubhouse. Gifts of $50, $100 or any amount would be gratefully accepted to help purchase furniture (indoors and outdoors) and other accessories such as lockers and benches. You can contribute by sending an e-transfer to our treasurer (treasurer@kingstontennisclub.com) indicating that the donation is for the refurbishment fund or if you would like a tax receipt, by making a donation directly through the National Sport Trust Fund (NSTF) site and selecting the Kingston Tennis Club from the drop-down menu. Thanks so much for your support!
|
|
A word of thanks from the Tennis Ball committee chair...
To organize an event well, you must recruit well, as was most certainly the case in pulling this celebration together. I would personally like to thank my team who said yes immediately when asked to volunteer their time before, during and after the event. Thank you, Ginette Blais, Caroline Davies, Janet Hartel, Julia Joyce, Kathy Lawton, Abby Lincoln and Asia Zolnierczyk. I would also like to thank our partners/spouses (and unofficial committee members) John Corrigan, Dave Gouett, Gord Hunter and Roger Wilson, who assisted with setup and take down of tables, flowers, lighting, and dozens of other items large and small.
Thank you to members John McFarlane and Peter Stelter for your musical talents! John, it was such a relief to leave the sound requirements in your very capable hands. And Peter, you and your bandmates from Powderfinger were a huge hit! You left the audience wanting more!! Shout out to Julie Hoffarth and John O'Shea for the loan and setup of the musician's tent - it was the perfect backdrop for our music and presentations. Thank you David Corrigan for agreeing to emcee the event - you were upbeat and kept the evening's program moving along seamlessly.
Thanks to the Wilson and Doornekamp families for stepping in to help with last minute clubhouse cleanup and junk removal. We would have been a literal ‘mess’ without your help.
Thank you, Luke Webb, for going above and beyond your ‘regular’ steward duties to ensure a well-ordered event.
A special thanks to John Corrigan, Dave Johnson and Allan Johnston, for your help in assembling and installing the kitchen, kiosk and change room cabinets in time for the big day.
And finally, I'd like to thank our President and Vice President, Alma Thayer and Donna Lounsbury, for their leadership and sage advice throughout the months of planning.
Tracey Corrigan,
KTC Board Member
|
|
KTC Doubles Club Championship Round-up
Hats off to tournament director (and eventual co-champion) Arjun Devnani, event coordinator Asia Zolnierczyk, assistant to everyone Luke Webb and their great team of volunteers who helped with everything from barbecuing to clean-up to photography!
After a short rain delay Thursday evening, the tournament got underway with 68 participants (17 Women’s teams and 17 Men’s) taking to the courts over the weekend. It was fun and exciting tennis for spectators and players alike, with plenty of memorable three-set matches.
A huge shout out to the great team of volunteers who helped out in many different capacities. Thank you…Azi JA, Alma & Tom Thayer, JF Thibault, Bud Nelson, Arsalan Ijaz, Yoon Kang and Isaac Jones. The success of the tournament is due in no small part to your contributions!
|
|
Congratulations to our 2022 winners!
On the Women’s side, we are thrilled to announce our winners, Maria Constandinou and Renée Austin!! Congratulations to these three-peat Women’s Doubles champs, who, again this year, won the title without dropping a set throughout the tournament. Maria and Renee prevailed 7-5 after being down 1-3 in a tight first set against first time finalists, Abby Lincoln and Tracey Corrigan. They then cruised to victory with a dominant 6-1 second set win.
For the Men's draw, we congratulate our new Doubles Champions Arjun Devnani and Nick Dempsey who won a long and hot three set battle against Ben Lewis and John Berkok winning 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-2.
Check out the B, C & D Pool winners and finalists below. Congratulations to all teams for a great tournament!
|
|
Women’s B Pool
Winners: Sandra McDonald & Yushiko Mikano
Finalists: Lynne Hanson & Jocelyn Purdie
Women’s C Pool
Winners TBD
Finalists: Willa Henry & Caroline Davies vs Alma Thayer & Flame Eadie
Women’s D Pool
Winners: Paula Loh & Elizabeth Huculak
Finalists: Mariah Rowe & Andrea Murphy
|
Men’s B Pool
Winners: Mike Payne & Jeremy Dalgleish
Finalists: John Corrigan & David Corrigan
Men’s C Pool
Winners: Bud Nelson & Curt Lariviere
Finalists: Allan Johnston & Yaoting Zhang
Men’s D Pool
Winners: Daniel Garand & Côme Rozon
Finalists: Doug Ronson & Gordon Boyd
|
|
Register now for the Singles Club Championships
August 17 - 21
First round play will begin at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, August 17th, with matches continuing until approximately 9:30 pm. Play continues on Thursday and Friday evening, all day Saturday followed by the tournament wrap-up on Sunday with the semi-finals in the morning, and the men’s and women’s championship finals in the afternoon.
As always, the timing of matches is subject to change if the weather doesn't cooperate. We will do our best to accommodate everyone: if matches are delayed, stewards and tournament organizers will keep members up to date about revised match times. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter for the most current tournament & court information.
This event is open exclusively to current KTC members. The entry fee for the tournament is $20 per person, with players guaranteed at least 3 matches. The entry fee also includes a BBQ dinner on Saturday evening at 5:30 pm. We'll be offering chicken, beef or veggie burgers, so when you register please indicate which option you prefer. There will also be complimentary refreshments, and prize medals for the winners and finalists.
Registration closes Monday, August 15th at 9:00 pm so sign up now!!
To register now and pay your $20 entry fee, please follow this link or simply contact a KTC steward at ktc@kingstontennisclub.com, with your name, your food choice and play restrictions, if any, for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday nights. To volunteer over the tournament weekend, please email Asia or Arjun.
|
|
Advantage: KTC Members
All KTC apparel and accessories on sale now!
The KTC is having a clearance sale event on all logo apparel and accessories. Inventory is limited for certain items so stop in to the KTC Kiosk today to make your purchase!
|
|
|
If you have any questions or comments about anything in our newsletter, please feel free to get in touch with us.
|
|
|
Follow KTC on social media to stay connected
and get the news as it happens!
Kingston Tennis Club is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you’re interested in tennis news on a global scale, tune in each week to Match Point Canada, the official podcast of Tennis Canada.
Membership | Camps
|
|
|
|
|
|
