Tennis players are needed to fill two local courts for a fundraising tournament hosted by the Gilmer County Optimist Club.
The second annual Justin Elliott Memorial Tennis Tournament will take place Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12.
Men’s and women’s doubles teams will compete at the Gilmer High School and county park and rec. tennis courts. Registration starts at 8 a.m. both days.
Proceeds from the tournament will go toward various community service projects for Gilmer County children and youth, confirmed Rebecca Harrell, Gilmer Optimist Club president.
The Optimists want to get 64 players (or 32 teams) registered to compete in the tournament, Harrell noted. Last year’s inaugural tournament raised over $21,000.
“We certainly need more players, and we’re also looking for more sponsors for this year’s tournament,” Harrell said. “We had 64 players and a waiting list last year. Everybody who was there had a great time, and it’s amazing how successful it was.”
Justin Elliott was an avid tennis player who played on the Gilmer Middle and High School teams, while also competing in U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) tournaments.
“He was the number one singles (player) on the high school team,” said Elliott’s mother, Ellen Grant, also a Gilmer Optimist Club member.
Shortly after graduating from GHS in 2008, Elliott was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a malignant form of brain cancer. While battling cancer, he attended classes at the University of Georgia when able and was named an honor student. Elliott passed away in 2011 at age 21.
The memorial tennis tournament combines two of his loves — tennis and helping others, confirmed Grant, who said her son enjoyed volunteering for such community service projects as the Gilmer Community Food Pantry and the GRASP (Gilmer Relief And Service Project) effort at Ellijay First United Methodist Church.
Anyone who enjoys playing tennis can register for the tournament, and entrants don’t have to be part of any tennis club or association. Players age 16 and up are welcome this year, Harrell said.
“Last year, it was 18 and up, so we’re hoping that some of the high school-age players will be able to play this year,” she added.
The $40 per person entry fee includes a tournament T-shirt, gift bag, breakfast on both days, lunch on Saturday, water and snacks, Harrell noted. Advance registration can be done online at fidgrit.com/tournament/optimisttennis.
“Our most critical need right now is more players,” Harrell said.
Putting proceeds to use
The Optimist Club recently rolled out a new grant award program in which money raised from the tennis tournaments will be disbursed to local nonprofits and other organizations that work with children and young people.
“We put a committee together and set funds aside from that $21,000 to support these youth-specific programs and projects. We’ve been reaching out to organizations here in Gilmer that focus on youth,” Harrell said. “They can be a 501(c)(3) or an organization that’s focused on supporting youth.”
Organizations have to apply for the grant funding, and the deadline to do so is May 31. An application form is available on the Gilmer County Optimist Club Facebook page, Harrell said.
“We ask for (such things as) their project or mission, budget and why they need (the grant).We have a separate committee that decides how much we can allocate based on that. We’ll notify the recipients by Aug. 1, and those financial awards will be delivered no later than Sept. 1,” she added.