Release 2

 

Sacramento, CA. (August 25, 2009). With the addition of the Sacramento Tennis Hall of Fame Ceremony at Legends Night on Wednesday, October 7, the Natomas/USTA $50,000 Professional Tennis Tournament at Natomas Racquet Club October 3—11 has evolved into a true community event.

Bill and Margie Campbell, owners of Spare Time Clubs, are partnering with Deepal and Betsy Wannakuwatte, owners of RelyAid, a nationwide provider of quality medical and dental products, to create a legacy event for Sacramento.

Legends Night will recognize individuals in the Sacramento community who have made exceptional contributions to the growth, reputation and character of tennis in Sacramento. Five individuals with significant accomplishments will be honored that evening as the first inductees into the Sacramento Tennis Hall of Fame.

Legends Night will benefit St. Francis High School Tennis. All proceeds will be donated to St. Francis to build a six court tennis complex on the school grounds.

The event evolved from the Wannakuwatte family’s involvement with St. Francis High School, where daughter Sarah is a senior, and the Campbell family’s on-going support for strong high school tennis programs.

“This is the perfect partnership,” says Deepal Wannakuwatte. “When I came to Sacramento 37 years ago, Rio del Oro Racquet Club was in the process of being built. I was one of the first tennis pros. I started Y-TAP (an acronym for Youth Tennis Achievement Program)—which was the first junior tennis program at the club--met my wife Betsy on the tennis courts, and enjoyed teaching tennis to juniors for many years.”

That was in 1972. In the ensuing years, Spare Time Clubs grew from one club to ten clubs, with thousands of tennis players, and RelyAid developed into a company with nation-wide influence. The families--who share a love of tennis, and a commitment to family and community service—remained in close contact. “The ability to create a tennis legacy together is a lifetime achievement for both men,” say Margie Campbell and Betsy Wannakuwatte, “It completes a circle.”

In 2008, in the midst of a successful business career, Wannakuwatte was asked to coach the Women’s Tennis Team at St. Francis High School. He enjoys coaching so much that he now rises at 5:00 a.m. to meet all of his business, family and volunteer coaching responsibilities.

“It’s a wonderful experience,” says Wannakuwatte, “I share the coaching position with my wife Betsy. My daughter plays on the team. As a family, we are interacting with other families in an environment that supports our children. It’s fun! Betsy and I are fortunate that we can volunteer our time—it’s good to be part of the tennis community and to give back a little bit of what we’ve received.“

“They’re giving back more than just a little,” say Spare Time Clubs owners Bill and Margie Campbell, who concur in Wannakuwatte’s statement that this is the perfect partnership. “In just over a year, Deepal and Betsy have created a tremendous program at St. Francis. What they are doing there is so important. We start a lot of kids in tennis at our clubs. When they get to high school they need a nice place to play tennis with their peers, a group they can be part of, and a way to develop self-esteem. Their program meets these needs at the highest level.”

Bill Campbell, who has coached the Women’s Tennis Team at Sac State for many years, continues, “I also want to mention that Betsy and Deepal coach a winning team, which just adds to the strength of their program. They won the Sac Joaquin Section title, the Santa Catalina tournament, and advanced to the semifinals of the CIF Northern California playoffs. As far as I know, that’s a first for a Sacramento high school women’s tennis team. The girls will benefit from the experience for the rest of their lives.”

St. Francis High School currently lacks a tennis facility. The team, which meets every day after school for two hours during tennis season, practices at Natomas Racquet Club in Sacramento.

Natomas Racquet Club is located at 2450 Natomas Park Drive, Sacramento, California, 95833.

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For more information and to purchase Legends Night tickets at the Natomas/USTA $50,000 Men’s Professional Tennis Tournament, please contact Kathy Rudd at 916-631-7734 or 916-747-6728 or by email at SacLegends@sbcglobal.net.