Challenge serves up fun, nets $150,000 for charity
Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2008
ROGERS — Love means nothing in tennis, but the 17 th annual Charity Challenge of Champions, held Sept. 25-27 at Pinnacle Country Club, was all about showing love to the celebrity tennis players, tournament participants and event sponsors.
The tournament, themed “Peace, Love, Tennis,” raised more than $ 150, 000 for the Northwest Arkansas Crisis Intervention Center, Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and tennis scholarships for Northwest Arkansas high school seniors. The 2008 scholarship recipients were Alice Havner from Bentonville High School and Elizabeth Akins from Fayetteville High School.
In addition to the two-day tennis tournament, the affair included a sponsor-recognition gala and auction at John Q. Hammons Convention Center on Friday night, a golf tournament Saturday at Shadow Valley Country Club, also in Rogers, and a party at the tennis courts at Pinnacle Country Club on Saturday night.
Well-known tennis greats were brought in as captains for teams in the tennis tournament. Cliff Drysdale, Jerome Millet, Roy Emerson, Ann Grossman, Tim Mayotte, Ross Case, Darren Cahill, Owen Davidson, Tom Brownhill and Kathy Rinaldi each led teams of nine players representing a total of more than 50 sponsors.
Members of the winning team, Team Case, were Aaron Elleman, Jen Keller, Scott Lamers, David Scogin, Doug Stursma, David Webb, Lisa and Steve Hinkebein and Karen Gommel. Team Case scored 142 points, second-place Team Cahill grabbed 132 points and Team Drysdale took third place with 128 points.
An auction conducted during the Friday night gala featured a trip to the 2009 U. S. Open donated by Head / Penn Racquet Sports and sold to Mari See for $ 3, 900. Dave Dible bought an outdoor recreation package donated by the Coleman Co. for $ 1, 700. Loyd Gillison spent $ 6, 000 on a Napa Valley vacation given by Constellation Wines. Patrick Hall purchased an Angel Fire, N. M., ski trip, donated by Zilogic, for $ 4, 700.
Two puppies were also offered in the live auction. DeDe Priest bought a golden retriever for $ 1, 250, and Dave Allen purchased a chocolate Labrador retriever for $ 800.
First- and second-place winners in the morning round of the golf tournament were the Brown-Foreman Beverages Worldwide team with a score of 57 and a team from Del Monte that scored 58. In the afternoon round, a team from Coca-Cola Enterprises won with 53 and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette team came in second place with a 58.
Decorations for the court-side party were the most elaborate and included large, bright cutout flowers, neon-colored table linens and tie-dyed fabric hanging behind the stage. Music was by the TJ Scarlett Band.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online