Former top 20 pro tennis player Melissa Gurney-Van Ness will be part of (National Alliance on Mental Illness) NAMI night on Tues., April 3 at the Central Lincoln County YMCA in Damariscotta.
Gurney-Van Ness was ranked as high as 17th in the world during her professional career, reaching the third round in both Wimbledon and the French Open in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Gurney-Van Ness will perform a doubles demonstration as part of a fundraiser/awareness-raiser night for NAMI and will be joined by her sister Lucinda Gurney Holbach, All American at University North Carolina and three time ACC player of the year.
Gurney Holbach reached the top 200 in the world in both singles and doubles. The Gurney sisters will be joined by Reggie Hodges, former All American at the University of Kansas and director of tennis at Maine Pines in Brunswick and Seth Meyer, former Maine No. 1 ranked junior and Cony High School standout and now director of tennis at MRC in Rockport.
The event begins at 5 p.m. with a play period for adults and children using the 10 and Under Tennis equipment.
The professional tennis match begins at 6. Everyone is welcome to drop in at anytime. The events are free but donations will be happily accepted to benefit NAMI Maine.
For more information, contact Lisa Gilbride, director of tennis at CLC YMCA at 563-3477. If unable to attend but would like to make a donation, checks can be made out to NAMI Maine and sent to CLC YMCA, C/O Lisa Gilbride, PO Box 787, Damariscotta, 04543.
The Damariscotta River Grill is participating in this community event as well. All day on April 3, a portion of sales from a select menu will be donated to NAMI Maine. Make sure to visit DRG to support them and NAMI Maine at the same time.