Troon Country Club Special Olympics Fun Day
Arizona Athletes with Physical and Intellectual Disabilities Participated in On-Court Clinics on Jan 24
Scottsdale, Az. (Jan. 29, 2015) – Arizona Special Olympians took to the courts at Troon Country Club in the 5th annual Tennis Fun Day on Saturday, Jan. 24. Mark Pachtner, director of tennis at Troon Country Club has coordinated the event which attracted more than 170 participants. Prior to his tenure at Troon Country Club, Pachtner developed Fun Day events with the local chapters of the Special Olympics in Georgia, Florida and California since 1999. Tennis Fun Day is also a well-established fundraiser for the Special Olympics Arizona, raising over $13,000 from this year’s event.
“The Valley of the Sun has clearly embraced this wonderful event, especially the members at Troon Country Club,” said Pachtner. “The pure love and joy on the faces of each of our special Olympians as they stroke the tennis ball brings not only a tear to my eye, but ringing joy in my heart along with the hearts of all of our marvelous volunteers who are the real facilitators of Tennis Fun Day.”
During the free Tennis Fun Day of clinics and exhibitions, local tennis professionals including USPTA Pros Mark Pachtner, Mark Frampton, John DeBoer, Ivan Rodriquez and Karen Weir covered the basics of the sport of tennis and taught certain basic tennis skills for the special Olympians. Each athlete received a commemorative Fun Day T-shirt, free Wilson tennis racquet and a gold medal for participation during the post-event awards luncheon. Athletes and volunteers also got time away from the courts to explore a fully-equipped fire engine and police cruisers, courtesy of the City of Scottsdale, and enjoyed a visit from therapy dogs from the Arizona Golden Retriever Rescue Connection. Festivities got underway at 9:30 a.m. and finished up at 1:30 p.m. upon completion of the awards luncheon.
“Tennis Fun Day is truly a captivating event and one in which we look forward to with great anticipation and excitement each and every year. Mark Pachtner and Troon Country Club have done a marvelous job in organizing this event for the past four years and we couldn’t be more delighted with its success and charitable gift-giving,” said Tim Martin, Special Olympics Arizona president and CEO.
Media contact:
Mark Pachtner, USPTA, PTR
Director of Tennis
Troon Country Club
(480) 358-7718
[email protected]