Hours after the first day of finals of Wimbledon wraps up in London, Aspenites thousands of miles away will don white clothing and pick up their wooden rackets for a cause.
Aspen Tennis Club hosts Wimbledon Day this Saturday, an open-to-the-public tournament to benefit Challenge Aspen, the local nonprofit that works to improve access to activities for individuals with disabilities. The day will feature an open mixed doubles tournament followed by a pro match that can be enjoyed by spectators.
Organizer Morgan Fixel, who was recently announced as a new board member of Challenge Aspen, said the group had not partnered with a tennis outlet for a benefit before.
“Since Challenge Aspen creates so many opportunities for people to be active, why not do something that’s a little bit different from what Challenge Aspen has done in the past?” Fixel said.
The doubles tournament is open to the public with no cap on registration. Fixel and Petra Crimmel, the former top-200 player in the world and director of the club, said they’re prepared to fill the courts with as many people as they can for the first two hours of the event.
Upon the conclusion of the tournament, local pros — who will be out and about teaching during the tournament — will pick up rackets themselves and play against each other for guests to watch. Among the participants will be 17-time Grand Slam doubles champion Gigi Fernandez and Kevin Arias, a premier coach. Some of the players will be burgeoning professionals currently in the college ranks, like DePaul University’s Marino Jakic, Croatia’s top-ranked player while in high school.
Challenge Aspen, which typically focuses on recreational sports like skiing and rafting, is always eager to expose its mission to new audiences, said KristinAnn Janishefski, the nonprofit’s events and marketing manager.
To Crimmel, the partnership for the benefit is a natural one.
“We thought Challenge Aspen would be a very deserving organization,” Crimmel said. “Tennis is a sport that has players with disabilities. It’s very popular in the world; all the Grand Slams and the Olympics and world championships that are happening are also serving players with disabilities. I’m hoping one of these days to bring Challenge Aspen onto tennis courts, but we’re trying to do something to help them because we know how great they are.”
Crimmel said she’s been involved with Challenge Aspen for 25 years, volunteering for programs that brought youth cancer patients to the area for weeklong retreats. Having taken over Aspen Tennis Club two years ago, Wimbledon Day will mark the first time the club has offered a charitable event on its calendar, an “intersection of two things I really care about,” Fixel said.
Accommodations will be made for registrants who have disabilities. Attendance to the tournament and pro match will be donation-based. There is no set rate; Crimmel said it will be “whatever people are comfortable with.”
Included among the events is a silent auction, featuring luxury items like a diamond tennis necklace, a private dinner and tennis gear. All proceeds from donations and the silent auction will go to Challenge Aspen.
Future events to benefit Challenge Aspen include its music and dance camp at The Arts Campus at Willits, July 18-22, and the Denim and Diamonds Gala, July 23. Aspen Tennis Club has tournaments most Saturdays and is hosting a Family Day on July 30, with free play and a barbecue.
Wimbledon Day’s tournament will be played from 3-5 p.m. and the pro match will follow. Advance registration is available through a link on Challenge Aspen’s Facebook page. Participants are encouraged to wear white and bring wooden rackets or use those provided in respect to the Wimbledon tournament being played in England.
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