Cary one of top 10 finalists, North Carolinians encouraged to vote online & make Cary #1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2009

CARY, NC – In a contest sponsored by the US Tennis Association, Cary has been selected as one of the top 10 Best Tennis Towns in the nation; the decision for the number one spot is in the hands of online voters, and North Carolinians are asked to go to www.besttennistown.com today through July 26 and vote for Cary for this prestigious award. The winner of the 2009 Best Tennis Town award will take home $100,000 to be used for community wide programming or facility enhancements that the winning entrant endorses, and the community will be recognized during the 2009 U.S. Open.

“We all know Cary ’s commitment to tennis, and I’m personally asking everyone to go online and vote for Cary so that the rest of the world can know how great we are,” said Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. “Each year, we enjoy working with Triangle community organizations and tennis associations to promote tennis and a healthier quality of life. In that same spirit of teamwork, I’m inviting our citizens and tennis enthusiasts everywhere to join us in putting local tennis in the national spotlight.”

To support tennis, the Town of Cary constructed the Cary Tennis Park with 30 championship lighted courts, later converting one court to four permanent 36-foot QuickStart courts, making the Tennis Park the largest in North Carolina and one of the largest in the Southeast. The Town also boasts 25 other tennis courts at four parks -- Annie L. Jones Park , Harold S. Dunham Park , Robert V. Godbold Park , and Middle Creek School Park . Furthermore, the Town has assembled top notch staff charged with operating the tennis program with a team based philosophy.

In addition to the Town’s tennis facilities, there are more than 200 tennis courts in Cary including public courts, private clubs, schools, businesses, and HOA facilities. There are more than 20,317 people participating in organized tennis activities in Cary including Town programs, Western Wake Tennis Association tournaments and leagues, private club programs, corporate leagues and adult social leagues. Many of these organizations work together to provide adult league play, junior league play, charitable organization fundraiser events, QuickStart tennis programs with local elementary school PE classes, Bridge II Sport’s wheelchair tennis program and local public and private high school teams.

Regular players on Cary ’s tennis courts come from across the Triangle, including Cary , Durham , Raleigh , Chapel Hill , Apex, Morrisville, Holly Spring , Fuquay-Varina and other surrounding communities. And many tournaments bring people from across the state and a few draw tennis players from across the nation to play tennis in Cary .

"The courts are full all the time. Programs keep growing, and we actually have waiting lists," said Bill Kamszik, Western Wake Tennis Association executive board member. "It's amazing how easy it is to get volunteers for the programs and events we conduct."

Mrinal Das, an avid tennis player who lives in Durham , also praised Cary for its tennis programs. "I've played tennis all over the country and what is unique and different about this place is, not only do you have the love [for the game] there is this meeting place [the Cary Tennis Park] that brings people from all over with similar likes and interests together. Having all these people together allows you to go from the passive tennis enthusiast to the actively involved member as well.”

For more, visit Cary Tennis Park at www.townofcary.org.

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