Carmel Racquet Club

Former President George W. Bush was in town Friday, Sept. 9th and he played golf at Crooked Stick Golf Club with CRC member Lisa Higgins, who is also the women's club champion from Highland Golf and Country Club. Also in the foursome was local golfing maven Nancy Fitzgerald and golf course designer Pete Dye.

Lisa said Bush was playing fast. He had to get done in three hours, and he did. In fact his foursome played through a few groups.

"I was in so much awe," said Lisa, "I didn't really talk a lot." But she did play well (shooting a 78 with Dye) against the president. "He'd say, 'Great drive,' " she said. "It was a lot of fun."

Last March, CRC members generously attended NuAfrica's Drill4Water fundraiser event to dig a well in Africa. As a result, a solar-powered well is now underway in Badinko school, Mali, Africa. Mali is one of Africa's most social and politically stable countries, but it is an impoverished land-locked country in need of help. In fact, half of Mali's population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day.

After attending Drill4Water, several CRC members and families were moved to travel to Mali to personally witness and live the impoverished village life. Among the 26 American travelers were CRC's Donna Sullivan, Lisa Prather, Mala Steffen, and their children. Despite a lack of running water, extreme climate fluctuations, no sanitation, and little to no resources, the travelers found villagers to be hard-working, intelligent, joyful, of strong character, warm, and possess an incredible sense of community. The experience was life-changing for all.

A great Beginning: All 26 travelers were invited to a lunch reception by Mali's First Lady, Madame President Toure. Madame Toure has a Childrens' Foundation, through which the NuAfrica travelers presented a donation of 20,000 dresses. The donation is to be given directly to villages the travelers visited. Following the reception, in a nationally televised ceremony, the First Lady, Madame President Toure, recognized NuAfrica as one of Mali's leading charities, pledging partnership and collaboration to do good together.

Gloria Webb models one of her birthday gifts from the tennis friends shown below.

She says, "I began playing tennis in high school around the late 40's I guess because the physical education teacher asked me to play. I played some in college and then did not play for many years. I took up the game again (off and on when I could fit it around raising my family) in my late 30’s....then more seriously when I retired in 1996.

I moved to Indiana from Virginia in June of 2006 and thanks to Nancy Dwyer introducing me to the great group of ladies at CRC have been playing three or four times a week year round. I play in Mary Kramer's USTA Senior and Super Seniors team and play in the summer on two USTA League teams.

I absolutely love this game and am blessed to have met so many new friends through tennis."

Ludo's Florida Tennis Trip for Ladies

Photo: top l-r: Tanja Keay, Karen Hammeran, Nancy Dwyer,and Elaine Babb celebrate Valentine's Day with tennis in Florida

CRC pros Ludo Aaron, Kathy Gordon, Rick Scotten, and 28 CRC women spent five days in February at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort in Longboat Key, Florida. Lots of good tennis and fun with friends!

The CRC enthusiastic tennis players included: Elaine Babb, Lyn Bir, Amy Cooke, Christie Cox, Paula Deemer, Nancy Dwyer, Kris Freeman, Joy Fischer, Karen Hameran, Julie Jones, Tanja Keay, Sheila Marshall, Vickie Melcher, Ann Meunier, Amy Moore, Sally Murphy, Cheri Sumner, Janet Thyen, Lisa Tuveri, Amy Van Zoelen.