The Central Lincoln County YMCA will hold its 10th annual Sanford Open Tennis Tournament and Auction on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the home of Carl and Dru Sanford. Members of the community are welcome to attend the event, which includes a great day of tennis, followed by an evening which will inspire visions of a dream vacation to Tuscany. Tickets are $100 for the open and this includes one guest for the evening event. For those who just want to attend the evening festivities, tickets can be purchased for $50. Tickets are available at the YMCA front desk or online.
The evening will be magical, designed to take guests back in time to a villa in Italy where they will enjoy music, Italian delicacies, and an opportunity to participate in the silent and live auction, featuring two Cortona, Tuscany vacation packages for seven days and seven nights. The evening’s festivities will close with a viewing of fireworks over the water.
Cortona is one of the oldest hill towns in Tuscany and is featured in the novel, which later became a movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun.” Being in Cortona is like taking a walk back in time where one is rewarded with fabulous views of the countryside that expand beyond the medieval town walls.
The Villa Piccola Bramasole, for 2-4 people, is an air-conditioned, two-bedroom, two-bath villa with a sitting area, kitchen, terrace, and garden with a seasonal outdoor pool. Daily breakfast prepared by a private chef is included.
The Villa Fontanicchio is an elegant independent villa of 400 square meters which offers seven rooms and eight bathrooms and an infinity swimming pool, and sleeps 14. It is located on the hill overlooking Lake Trasimeno, just on the border with Tuscany. The surrounding area of the villa is characterized by vineyards and olive trees, all providing a characteristic landscape, quiet and scenic. The villa is the result of careful renovations with the utmost attention to detail, preserving its original architectural features. The property has no other facilities nearby so one will enjoy total privacy. Breakfast and dinner will be prepared by a private chef every morning and evening at Villa Fontanicchio. Go to bit.ly/2btjKav for more about the villa.
Both packages include an arrival-day welcome drink and orientation; daily maid service; Internet and phone; private wine-tasting at an exclusive winery with lunch; a one-day traditional Tuscan cooking class; and access to a staff member to arrange for extra activities and services.
The Sanford Open was created in 2006 as a tribute to the late Bob Ehrenfeld who, along with his wife Betta, hosted a tennis tournament called the Ehrenfeld Open on their waterfront property. The Ehrenfeld family gave generously to the YMCA, particularly to the tennis program. The Sanfords were inspired to continue the legacy, while giving back to an organization that does so much for this community. Proceeds from the event have supported tennis projects and programs, as well as the Y’s mission-based programs, including: scholarships; adopt-a-school program; tennis for day-care attendees; tennis for Coastal Kids Preschool; free family cardio tennis; Stay and Play; a learn-to-play-tennis-for-free program; and adult tennis programs.
“Guests will enjoy this magical evening while supporting important tennis projects and Y mission-based programs,” said Meagan Hamblett, the YMCA’s CEO. “We hope the community will join us on September 17 and help make our 10th annual Sanford Open a huge success.”
For more information, go to clcymca.org.
