The turkey has been relegated to salad and sandwiches, we've
recovered from being stuffed with stuffing, but the memories of spending time
and sharing sentiments with friends and family remain…They will stay with us
until Thanksgiving Day comes around again.
I know I don’t have to remind you that we have much to be
thankful for at The Hideaway, but I wanted to share my thoughts and sentiments
of gratitude. As with the rest of the Hideaway community, Hideaway Tennis has
much for which to be grateful.
Personally, on the administrative end of things,
I’m grateful for the tremendous support the blossoming tennis program has
received from Tom Dudas, Sean Balliet and Janine Harrell. Without their
efforts, we would not have witnessed the growth of over 80% in tennis
membership.
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| Doug & Sean |
I would be remiss if I didn't give thanks to Doug, who quietly
and with his ever-present smile, goes beyond his anticipated call of duty to ease
the growing pains of the budding tennis program.
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| Chef Nick |
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| Rick |
And of course I am grateful to
Chef Nick, Rick, Nid, Chris, and the rest of the Food and Beverage staff who
have welcomed our new members in their own special way.
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| Chris |
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| Paula Barry & Vivian Landis |
Speaking of welcoming, without the generous spirit displayed
by long-time members such as Paula Barry, Vivian Landis, Bill Dey, Gerry
Courtney, Bill and Lee Cross, Bob Ostrom and others, members who have been the
heart and soul of the tennis community for eons, I wouldn't be here and neither
would the 21 new tennis members.
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| Gerry Courtney |
And without their efforts, the tennis courts
wouldn't receive the glowing praise they receive from everyone who visits The
Hideaway.
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| Bert Ann, Pearle, Pat |
In addition to all I've mentioned as worthy of immense
gratitude, there are other driving forces behind the growth in our tennis
program and membership. Bert Ann Haas has worked tirelessly to build our Lee
County Women’s Tennis League (LCWTL) Copper team, and Pearle Warren has done
the same to establish our 3.0 team. Thank you ladies for the difficult and
often thankless job you do!
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| Terry Turner & Karen Keeling |
Finally, to the ladies who show up for practice, who give
their all each time they step out onto the court as representatives of The
Hideaway tennis program, a great, big “THANK YOU” goes out to you as well.
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| Pre-season Team Luncheon |
To
all above, I hope you had a tremendous experience with your family and friends
on the designated day for giving thanks! I hope, despite our daily challenges,
we remain grateful for all we have, including the little piece of paradise that is
our Hideaway.
Your Grateful Tennis Professional,
T. A. Niles
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