Red Cross, YMCA will raise funds with racquets
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on April 1, 2012 1:50 AM
Racquetball players from all over North Carolina will compete against each other while raising funds for two local organizations.
The Racquet Up For The Red tournament will be April 20-22 at the Family Y. The Y and the Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross will share in the proceeds.
The Y will use the funds to provide scholarships for children to go to summer school, take swimming lessons, join a swimming team and also join the Y, said senior program director Darren Goroski.
The Red Cross will use its share of the funds for single-family fire response.
"That seems to be the disaster we respond to the most day in and day out," Director Chuck Waller said.
This is the fourth year of the tournament. Between 50 and 70 players will take part in different divisions -- top level, beginner, youth, women, men.
"It serves two purposes," Goroski said. "It gives adults a chance to compete doing something that's a lot of fun, and we use it as a fundraiser for the Y and Red Cross."
Play will begin that Friday night and continue through Sunday afternoon.
"Most divisions are single elimination divisions," Goroski said, "so if you win, you keep moving on. Some of the smaller divisions do a round robin so everybody gets a chance to play everybody."
Goroski said some people will play once or twice on Friday, usually one to three times on Saturday and once or twice on Sunday if they make it all the way through.
Some people who enter multiple divisions will end up playing once or twice on Friday, up to five times on Saturday and two or three times on Sunday.
During the tournament, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served. Food will be donated by local restaurants and companies.
"It's a lot of camaraderie," Goroski said. "People sit around and watch other people play. Families come in to watch. It's a very fun crowd."
Waller said it's an opportunity to come out to the Y, have a good time and support two local organizations at the same time.
Red Cross staff and volunteers will help out at the tournament.
Click on ncracquetball.com to enter, or stop by the Y to sign up.