Despite the predicted eight inches of snow for Sunday, February 9, the Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools (SFES) held their first annual pickleball tournament fundraiser at the new Suffield Pickleball indoor facility on Kenny Roberts Drive, and a good time was had by all. Due to the weather, the tournament start time of 9 a.m. was delayed by 90 minutes but an intrepid twenty-eight teams showed up to play. A quick clinic for the eight beginner teams was held and then it was off to the courts for spirited play.
The format for the 10 intermediate and 10 advanced teams was the same. Each match was timed, and at the end of the period players reported their scores. The two teams with the highest number of points met again in the championship round. Team Catamounts – Yeager Ferreira and Kai Boyd beat EW Sports captained by Brian Feeney in the intermediate division, while in the men’s advanced doubles Slinging Dinks Bo Fydenkevez and Alex Shligersky beat the team captained by Justin Drago. In the women’s /mixed doubles, Dink 182 Daniel Laing and Jennifer Dziedzic-Laing beat Double Trouble Jennifer Wilson and Jackie Kenney.
While waiting to play, participants and onlookers were provided with pizza, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. The tournament raised approximately $2,800 which will help fund grants provided by the SFES to our local schools.
We are especially grateful to our main sponsor Windsor Federal, which underwrote the entire court time cost while five other sponsors each “adopted” a court: Spa 1670, Brightstar Care, XGT Fitness, DG Graphics and Reliance Physical Therapy. Additional thanks go out to the donors of the raffle prizes as listed with the winner, if available, being added in parentheses: Suffield Cordial Shoppe (Jamie Malkoon), Creative Clips (Wes Ford), Suffield Village Market (Tracy McDonough), Spa 1670, XGT Fitness (Johanne Presser), Zantos (Craig Tini), Suffield Pizza(Brenda Woods), Suffield Massage, Spare Time Bowling, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Thrifting Pretty(Maria Andrade). Additionally, Mike Voisine won two tickets to a UConn Women’s basketball game donated by Alexa Woods and Mike Moriarty won a framed authenticated picture of Red Sox star Benintendi donated by Pellet Sports. A separate bidding prize was a deluxe grill donated by Home Depot which was won by Matt Howell. For more information about the SFES and what we do, please visit our website at www.sfes.org. and consider volunteering with us.