Rome’s inclusion as a finalist for Best Tennis Town 2010 by the United States Tennis Association is more than an honor.
It puts the city in line to possibly get some cash to improve its tennis offerings.
Coosa Valley Tennis Association President Jim O’Hara received word Thursday that Rome is in the top 10 and could win the coveted award.
What’s at stake, in addition to the title, is big prize money. The grand prize for the top vote-getter is $100,000 for community tennis programming or facility enhancement, said O’Hara. Second place is $50,000; third is $25,000. The seven honorable mentions each get $2,000 equipment packages.
“As a finalist in the Best Tennis Town search, we’re excited to show the rest of the state and the country how passionate we are about tennis in Rome,” said O’Hara, “and how much tennis is part of our community.”
Now that Rome is in the top 10, America gets to vote online on who gets to claim the Best Tennis Town bragging rights. Voting begins today at 12:01 p.m. at www. besttennistown.com and continues through July 26.
“We have our fingers crossed,” said Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” said Mark Dodd, Rome tennis director. “Me personally, being from Rome, I think we deserve this. There’s nobody better with all we’re trying to do. Now we just need to get the word out so everybody will vote, then we’ll have a real shot at it.”
Other cities in the running include Atlanta; Clearwater, Fla.; Delray Beach, Fla.; Charleston, S.C.; Snow Hill, N.C.; Beaverton, Ore.; Richmond, Va.; Rosemount, Minn.; and Manchester Center, Vt.
“We’re going up against a lot bigger cities. We may be the smallest,” O’Hara noted. “We may end up being the smallest in the top 10, but in my view we are the biggest and the best.”
Rome is a tournament hot spot each year and just this spring and summer hosted adult state league championships and two junior tournaments that brought an estimated 3,000 people to the city.
Last year’s Best Tennis Town winner was Midland, Mich.
Editor Charlotte Atkins, Staff Writer Nick Godfrey and Deputy Editor Mike Colombo contributed to this report.
Click here to read the USTA press release
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