The Nelson Tennis Club recently received a $25,000 grant from the Columbia Basin Trust to help construct a new facility. In partnership with School District 8, they revitalized an old derelict tennis court area near LV Rogers High School. Club President Keith Bridger says now they’re gearing up to offer a season of youth programming.
“We have a fabulous coach and he’s going to be gearing up, you know, with our new ties with the school district, he’ll be gearing up for the junior development program. We’re going to have summer tennis camps and eventually international students coming for tennis academy.”
With that they need to expand the facility to include a new two-story building with washrooms, a training room, fitness equipment, as well as a social space to use during tournaments. Significant fundraising has already been underway and Bridger says the hope is to have shovels in the ground in April.
“Like last year, we’re going to have a big volunteer contingent on site every day, plus weekend work parties. The local suppliers and contractors have been so generous. They sort of recognize the contribution of this facility to the community, so they’ve really stepped up.”
The estimated cost is $165,000 and there’s still some fundraising to do. The Trust’s contribution came through the Basin PLAYS initiative.
