The Crowd: Benefit tennis tourney named after Aussie great coming up
The 51st annual Roy Emerson Adoption Guild Tennis Classic is scheduled for May 26 through 28 and June 2 and 3.
The namesake of the tournament, Roy Emerson, last week joined his wife Joy for a pre-event wine sharing reception in the contemporary bay view residence of Britt and Bob Meyer.
The sunset event brought together some 50 citizens, many of whom have been longtime supporters of the work of the Adoption Guild which supports the work of Holy Family Services of Orange County. The concept behind the wine sharing event was for guests to bring at least two bottles of a favorite vintage; one to share with fellow party guests, and a second wine to be offered for silent auction at the annual tennis classic.
Guests toasted Emerson and the work of Holy Family Services, while enjoying catering provided by Elizabeth An of the House of AnQi Crustacean Restaurant. Hi-Time Wine Cellar’s sommelier Rochelle Baumgartner was on hand for the evening, pouring both white and red vintages to accompany AnQi’s fabulous spicy beef tacos and signature garlic noodles served with chopsticks in individual take-out boxes.
Incoming president of the Adoption Guild, Jeanette Perry, welcomed the enthusiastic crowd and introduced Roy Emerson. The Australian and former world No. 1 tennis player, who won 12 Grand Slam singles and 16 Grand Slam men’s doubles titles during his playing career, shared memories of first coming to the Newport Coast in the 1960s and forming a close community relationship with the Adoption Guild for what is now approaching a 50-year lifelong commitment.
Applauding Emerson was the Palisades Tennis Club’s Ken Stuart, Chester and Patricia Houston, Bruce and Carol Andrews, Pam Selber and Mick Mickler, Meg O’Maley and Brett Morgan, Lou Delmonico, Roger and Marta Alexander, Jackie Glass, Kathy Lockhart, Elizabeth and Rod Maxson, and Dr. Frank Crinella.
Part of the fun and the fundraising at the Emerson Classic will be the examination of the special wine auction, which will feature Opus One 2001 Red, Ramonet 2009 White Burgundy, Brunello di Montalcino 2004, and Schramsberg 2004 Reserve, which is a vintage that is featured at the White House.
Some of the local businesses sponsoring the Adoption Guild efforts, in addition to Hi-Time Wine Cellars, include Union Bank of California, Coca-Cola, Activate Drink, Dunlop Sport, Stephen and Pam Fossler, Jackie Glass and the Kling Family Foundation, and William Harold Jewelers of Newport Beach.
Adoption Guild members deserving kudos for their efforts also include Susan Kirkland, Marily Wilson and Susan Knox.
Since 1961 the Adoption Guild has raised more than $4.2 million in funding contributing to Holy Family Services Adoption and Foster Care Programs that help facilitate approximately 3,000 adoptions. The Roy Emerson Tennis Classic is the most important financial arm of this success. For more information, go to adoptionguild.org.
THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
