Consider this the Year of the Volunteer.

"They" say that if you want someone to do a good job, find a busy person.  In the New Jersey platform tennis community, if you need someone to run an event, you need look no further than the Short Hills Club and two of their busy members.  Ron Cummins and Katie Bliss (along with pro Dave Broderick) seem to always say yes, whether the event is local, league, regional or national.  THANKS!

The future of the game is in the juniors.  Mary Collins of North Park in Pittsburgh understands this.  She and others have been working hard to impart their love of the game to children at the public courts.  A contingent of junior paddle enthusiasts made the trek to New JErsey for the Junior Nationals in January.  Keep up the good work, Mary!

All it takes is a lot of hard work, time, money…and a passion for the sport!

Our first featured volunteers certainly devoted at least two of the first three to the sport, and exhibits a boundless supply of the required passion.

Instrumental in making the Hinsdale, IL public facility a reality were Paul Wiggin(left), Bill O'Brien(center) and Charlie Usher (right).

Not to be outdone, volunteers Steve Caccam and Ann Lobdell (below) and other New Canaanites (CT) worked with the town to promote and have built a new 4-court complex in less than a year from proposal to dedication.

These Volunteers will be receiving Thank You certificates from the APTA as well as special caps designed to honor them.

Please send your nominations for special volunteers in your area.

Please send me names, a few notes on what makes your "Valued Volunteer" so special, and (very important!) digital photos.

Please let me hear from you at: apta@platformtennis.org

And remember to say "thank you" to all the volunteers you encounter.