NORTH SHORE HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR ORGANIZES CHARITY TENNIS TOURNAMENT IN
MEMORY OF NICHOLAS PEDONE
On Saturday August 17th at North Shore High School, a charity tennis tournament is being held in memory of Nicholas Pedone, a Glen Head Elementary School second grader who passed away this past May after battling neuroblastoma. Proceeds will go to the Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop University Hospital.
Leading the event is Michael Rovner, a North Shore High School Senior, and Lieutenant Governor of Division Four within Kiwanis International’s Key Club organizations. The North Shore Key Club is a community service group with a few dozen active members and is advised by Ms. Julia Salat, the North Shore High School Community Service Director.
Three years ago, Rovner and a friend, Sydney Menzin, who graduated from
Friends Academy in June, organized the first charity tennis fundraiser. With support from the North Shore Key Club, Rovner has now organized four of these events. This year he wanted to hold the tournament in memory of Nicholas and asked the Pedone family to provide a list of recommended charities, from which he chose the Cancer Center for Kids (CCK) at Winthrop Hospital.
According to its website, Winthrop's Cancer Center for Kids “is the
largest outpatient facility for treating children with cancer and blood
disorders in Nassau County; it is the County’s only member of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), a prestigious international consortium of collaborating hospitals recognized as leaders in the treatment of childhood cancers.”
Ms. Ashley Carlo, a Development Specialist, has been Rovner’s contact at the center, and has been very supportive of the work that he and others have put into organizing the tournament.
Rovner has made it clear that the event could not take place without the valuable help of many people. In addition, to the work of Menzin, Ms. Salat, and Ms. Carlo, Brianna Klenkel who attends Lutheran High School, Christina Nardine a student at Our Lady of Mercy, the North Shore Key Club, and many parents have helped advertise the tournament. And, Rovner says, “our tennis coach Karen Beckhard-Ravner brought us all together and was the original inspiration for the event.”
Rovner said that “tennis players of all ages are invited to come out and enjoy a day of fun and friends to remember sweet Nicholas. Even if you do not play tennis, you are welcome to come out and show your support. Refreshments will be available and a good time is guaranteed!” There
will be separate brackets for children and adults, and the tournament will be “round-robin” style, rather than single elimination.
The winner of the adult tournament will receive two tickets to the U.S. Open Men's semifinal matches. The tickets were generously donated by Mary Ryan, director of merchandising at the USTA.
Rovner encourages those who wish to participate in the tournament to pre-register for the event, so that organizers have a better idea of how many
people they need to accommodate. But if one chooses to participate at the last minute – that is fine as well.
The tournament will take place at the North Shore High School tennis courts, and registration on the day of the tournament will begin at 8:30 am and the first matches will start at 9.
The donation is $15, and participants are encouraged to get sponsors who are willing to make pledges of support. All checks should be made payable to: “Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop University Hospital.”
Participants can register online by going to http://bit.ly/1baDxor (Web address is case sensitive).
If you cannot attend and would like to make a donation, checks can be mailed to:
Nicholas Pedone Memorial Tennis Tournament c/o Michael Rovner 7 Helen Street Greenvale, NY 11548
Online donations can be made at: https://www.winthrop.org/events/register/tribute.cfm
Leading the event is Michael Rovner, a North Shore High School Senior, and Lieutenant Governor of Division Four within Kiwanis International’s Key Club organizations. The North Shore Key Club is a community service group with a few dozen active members and is advised by Ms. Julia Salat, the North Shore High School Community Service Director.
Three years ago, Rovner and a friend, Sydney Menzin, who graduated from
Friends Academy in June, organized the first charity tennis fundraiser. With support from the North Shore Key Club, Rovner has now organized four of these events. This year he wanted to hold the tournament in memory of Nicholas and asked the Pedone family to provide a list of recommended charities, from which he chose the Cancer Center for Kids (CCK) at Winthrop Hospital.
According to its website, Winthrop's Cancer Center for Kids “is the
largest outpatient facility for treating children with cancer and blood
disorders in Nassau County; it is the County’s only member of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), a prestigious international consortium of collaborating hospitals recognized as leaders in the treatment of childhood cancers.”
Ms. Ashley Carlo, a Development Specialist, has been Rovner’s contact at the center, and has been very supportive of the work that he and others have put into organizing the tournament.
Rovner has made it clear that the event could not take place without the valuable help of many people. In addition, to the work of Menzin, Ms. Salat, and Ms. Carlo, Brianna Klenkel who attends Lutheran High School, Christina Nardine a student at Our Lady of Mercy, the North Shore Key Club, and many parents have helped advertise the tournament. And, Rovner says, “our tennis coach Karen Beckhard-Ravner brought us all together and was the original inspiration for the event.”
Rovner said that “tennis players of all ages are invited to come out and enjoy a day of fun and friends to remember sweet Nicholas. Even if you do not play tennis, you are welcome to come out and show your support. Refreshments will be available and a good time is guaranteed!” There
will be separate brackets for children and adults, and the tournament will be “round-robin” style, rather than single elimination.
The winner of the adult tournament will receive two tickets to the U.S. Open Men's semifinal matches. The tickets were generously donated by Mary Ryan, director of merchandising at the USTA.
Rovner encourages those who wish to participate in the tournament to pre-register for the event, so that organizers have a better idea of how many
people they need to accommodate. But if one chooses to participate at the last minute – that is fine as well.
The tournament will take place at the North Shore High School tennis courts, and registration on the day of the tournament will begin at 8:30 am and the first matches will start at 9.
The donation is $15, and participants are encouraged to get sponsors who are willing to make pledges of support. All checks should be made payable to: “Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop University Hospital.”
Participants can register online by going to http://bit.ly/1baDxor (Web address is case sensitive).
If you cannot attend and would like to make a donation, checks can be mailed to:
Nicholas Pedone Memorial Tennis Tournament c/o Michael Rovner 7 Helen Street Greenvale, NY 11548
Online donations can be made at: https://www.winthrop.org/events/register/tribute.cfm
