23rd Annual SOS Tennis Benefit RaisesbrFunds and "Love" for Victims of Domestic Violence
Southlake Tennis Center is wellbrknown for supporting local women’s shelters and will host the Mid-Cities Supporters of SafeHaven (SOS)brTennis Benefit to raise funds for SafeHavenbrof Tarrant County this May.
SafeHaven operatesbrtwo emergency shelters for survivors of domestic violence. What began in 1991 asbra small tournament with just 40 players is now a three-day event with nearly 240 players from throughout the Metroplex andbrincludes a pretournament of mixed doubles, followed by the ladies only event. Thebr23rd Annual SOS Tennis Benefit will take place May 13-15 at SouthlakebrTennis Center and is open to players of all levels with a mixed doubles eventbrbeing held on Sunday, May 3.
The originalbrtennis benefit was played at Hackberry Creek Country Club and Richland TennisbrCenter before moving to Southlake Tennis Center in 2000 where it has remainedbrever since. Mia Gordon-Poorman, general manager of Southlake Tennis Center,brbecame the tournament director in 2002 and hasbrco-chaired the event for the past four years.
"This eventbrand organization is near and dear to my heart. Not only do we host it here, butbrwe also bring children from SafeHaven into our junior summer camp program eachbryear, " says Gordon-Poorman, noting 100 percent of the entry fees go tobrSOS and all expenses are covered by sponsors. "Playing tennis is a greatbrphysical activity for the kids which also helps them develop social skills andbrself esteem."
As one of onlybrtwo fundraisers hosted each year by SOS (its annual Celebrity Chefs was held inbrJanuary), this tennis benefit offers a good time on and off the courts, but itbrhas a serious purpose: to assist SafeHaven of Tarrant County in its mission to endbrfamily violence through financial support and by promoting community awarenessbrof family violence.
"It is very important that we assistbrlocal victims of domestic violence and let them know that there is a place theybrcan go for help,” Gordon-Poorman said. "Almost every year during thebrtournament, a woman comes up to one of us and says that either she or someonebrshe knows received help from SafeHaven."
Since its inception, the SOSbrTennis Benefit has raised nearly $300,000 for SafeHaven of Tarrant County.brThese funds are used to uphold SafeHaven's mission to change the lives of womenbrand children affected by domestic violence. SafeHaven offers a multitude ofbrprograms and services to protect victims and create opportunities to achieve independencebrand self-sufficiency:
- Two emergencybr shelters with a combined 174-bed capacity that provide safety planning,br living quarters, meals, clothing, transportation and medical/dental carebr referrals.
- SafeLiving, abr transitional living program that successfully moves families from shelterbr to independence.
- SafeResponse,br a 24/7 crisis intervention program available to hospitals and lawbr enforcement.
- CampHeart, abr weekend camping program for child victims.
- SafePlay, abr sports camp program for child victims.
The 2013 tennis benefitbrraised approximately $30,000 which funded children’s programs and critical updatesbrfor SafeHaven’s website. In 2011, tournament proceeds helped purchase two vansbrto transport women and children at the shelters to appointments and activities.
A popular event for many players atbrSouthlake Tennis Center, Gordon-Poorman says players also come from Arlington,brFlower Mound, Keller and Grapevine. A Mixed Doubles Event will kick off thebrtournament on Sunday, May 4 followed by the Ladies Only Event on May 13-15. Eachbrteam will play in a round robin, with the winners from each division playing inbrthe finals:
- Tuesday, May 13:br Levels 3.0B & 3.0A
- Wednesday, Maybr 14: Levels 4.0B & 4.0A+
- Thursday, Maybr 15: Levels 3.5B & 3.5A
The benefit starts promptly at 8:45 a.m. eachbrday and lunch and awards are held at 1:00 p.m. The entry fee is $50 per playerbrand includes a light breakfast, snacks, lunch and gift. In addition to thebraction on the court, there will be a silent auction and basket raffle. Deadlinebrfor registration/payment is May 3.
The May 4 MixedbrDoubles Event starts at 1:00 p.m. with awards at 5:00 p.m. The entry fee is $50brper player and features suds and barbeque with a silent auction too.brRegistrations must be received by April 28 to guarantee entry.
For more information on either the May 4 MixedbrDoubles Event or the May 13-15 Ladies Only Event, contact Mia Gordon-Poorman atbr817-421-5605 or mia@southlaketennis.com.brYou can register online at www.usta.com bybrclicking on the Tennis Link for Tournament #800042814.
Tracy Southers, APR, is president of WordPlay, LLC, a public relations agency in Grapevine, Texas. The company’s services include consulting, copywriting, marketing communications, publicity, social media and special event planning. For more information, visit WordPlay Texas or call 817.756.1233.