A partnership offering hope.Byline: Bob Welch There are a number of famous people of this name including:
SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL who'd never held a tennis racket until last summer, when Willow Creek Willow Creek may refer to: In Christianity:
French ecclesiastic who founded the Congregation of the Mission (1625) and the Daughters of Charity (1633). to offer lessons for kids from low-income families. But trying to develop a Venus Williams Venus Ebone Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980 in Lynwood, California) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked the world's No. 1 female tennis player. As of July 2007, she is the reigning Wimbledon ladies' singles champion. backhand was the least of her concerns. At the last of four sessions, she kept asking Willow Creek owner Tom Greider if it was really true that they were going to get pizza. Yep, he kept promising, then finally asked what she'd had to eat that day. "Just this," she said, pulling out a piece of chewing gum chewing gum, confection consisting usually of chicle, flavorings, and corn syrup and sugar (or artificial sweeteners). Prehistoric people are believed to have chewed resins. . This Saturday, Greider will temporarily close his Willow Creek Club for a far more ambitious event - a 14-event Sports Carnival In Australian culture sports carnivals are held to perform competitions in the individual or team disciplines like athletics, swimming or Surf Life Saving. Teams from different clubs or schools gather together for both individual point-score and team score. & Crafts Festival - that he hopes will help feed such kids' hunger on a number of levels. Not only physical hunger - each kid will go home with a holiday turkey - but another kind of hunger. The hunger for hope. "These kids are hungry to learn new things, to participate, to have someone compliment them when they do well," says Greider, who, along with his wife, Cindy, owns the sports complex in southwest Eugene. "To watch kids get excited when they succeed, that excites me because that kind of hope can translate into school, home, church. That's why sports can be valuable in the big scheme of life." As a community, Eugene takes its share of heat for infighting in·fight·ing n. 1. Contentious rivalry or disagreement among members of a group or organization: infighting on the President's staff. 2. Fighting or boxing at close range. among various factions. But the Willow Creek-St. Vincent de Paul alliance reminds us that groups and individuals - even if diverse demographically - can come together for good. "I just thought, I've got this sports facility and I know something about sports," says Greider, ex-University of Oregon women's tennis coach, "so what can I do to help?" Last summer's tennis event not only was held at Willow Creek, but also was funded largely by a memorial gift donated by member John Duran John J. Duran is an American municipal politician[1] and the current mayor of West Hollywood, California.[2] Duran was elected to the City Council on March 6, 2001. in honor of his wife, Carole, who died last January in a scuba diving scuba diving Swimming done underwater with a self-contained underwater-breathing apparatus (scuba), as opposed to skin diving, which requires only a snorkel, goggles, and flippers. Scuba gear was invented by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan in 1943. accident. But that event just whet Greider's interest. He wanted to do more. NOT ONE to sit back on the baseline, Greider rushed the net. He contacted St. Vincent de Paul about his idea for a "sports sampler sampler, sample piece of needlework or embroidery, of silk, cotton, or worsted, for the preservation of some pattern or as an example of the ability of a child or a beginner. In museums and private collections there are samplers dating from as early as 1643. " being part of the Vinnie's Kids Sports Program. He added some crafts; kids will decorate their 18-inch Christmas trees and make gift cards. "This is what happens when you go to every Willagillespie 'Spooctacular' carnival with your kids for 10 years," says Greider. "You get ideas." He made calls. He rallied junior members of the clubs to help out. He not only wrote letters seeking donations of food and prizes, but also personally delivered them. His family - Cindy and their daughters, Tiffany, 17, Meghan, 15, and Jillian, 11 - started shopping for gifts for the kids. Club members got involved. One wrote a $500 check for the event - without being asked. David Chun of Courtside court·side n. The area immediately bordering the official court of play, as in tennis or basketball. Tennis and Apparel donated a bunch of new rackets rackets Game for two or four players with ball and racket on a four-walled court. Rackets is played with a hard ball in a relatively large court (approximately 9 × 18 m), unlike the related games of squash and racquetball. . Michael's Arts & Crafts donated miniature Christmas trees. Other businesses pulled through with shoes, soccer balls and more. Mayor Jim Torrey agreed to be on hand. "We want every kid to go home with a turkey, a Christmas tree, a sports item, a warm pair of socks and a stuffed bear," says the 43-year-old Greider. "Every kid should have a stuffed bear." The event, which runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., is open to kids whose families are part of St. Vincent de Paul's affordable housing program. And it is a reminder of what can happen when people dare to ask: What can I do to help? "Tom Greider's the most generous, caring, giving person I've ever met - and absolutely wonderful with kids," says Karen Huffman, St. Vincent de Paul's resident services coordinator. "His patience with young people is phenomenal. He inspires self-confidence. He wants to give them an alternative, wants them to know that they can do anything - there are no limitations." And it all begins with hope. Some of you may be wondering how the Civil War played out in Iceland, where Duck fan Larry Cousins had invited Beaver fan Edward Weinman to watch the game at the Navy base where he's stationed. Two thumbs up. Well a wing and a paw up. "I found (Ed) to be very well-educated, articulate, polite, fun and a gracious loser," Cousins says. Ed described Larry as "a wonderful host" who offered "great game snacks" - meaning, I presume, something other than dried or salted haddock. The kicker: The two have already made plans to watch some Beaver and Duck hoops together this winter. Interested in donating toward Saturday's Sports Carnival? Contact Greider at 484-7451 or by e-mail at tomg@wctennis.com. |
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