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The Matakana Tennis Club is hoping to AstroTurf its three courts ready for the summer season staring on October 1.
The Matakana Community Group (MCG) has been working with Auckland Council for over three years to redevelop the court surfaces and surrounding area in Diamond Jubilee Park.
Council has spent $333,000 on the project, while the MCG has fundraised $14,000 that will go towards the $55,000 AstroTurf.
Matakana Tennis Club president David O’Sullivan says he is excited about finishing what has been a long project.
“It would be great to have the proper surface ready for players to use at the start of the summer season,” David says.
MCG chair Dr Simon Barclay admits the remaining $41,000 needed to cover the cost of the AstroTurf is a large amount to raise by the end of next month.
“We are hoping that some generous people will come on board and contribute money that we would pay back through fundraising after the courts are finished,” Dr Barclay says.
A fundraising film evening will be held at the Matakana Cinema on September 23. The group will screen the Billie Jean King film Battle of the Sexes following a talk from Adam Gard’ner.
Adam is coach development coordinator for Tennis NZ and was the director of tennis at the Shanghai Racquet Club.
He also led an online campaign to buy Awaroa Beach to prevent it from being privately owned, with more than 40,000 people donating to the cause.
“It will be great to have Adam speaking there because he has run such a successful fundraising campaign before that we can learn from,” David says.
The journey to completing the courts has not been without trouble after the asphalt was laid incorrectly the first time, leaving a lip down the centre of two of the courts.
“It was frustrating to have all that money spent and then have a surface that couldn’t cater for a proper game of tennis, but the finish since it was fixed is good,” Simon says.
“Mason Contractors have been good to deal with and they are looking at transporting the AstroTurf and sand to the courts for free, which will save us around $5000.”
The surface was rolled to remove the inconsistencies at no extra cost to the community.
A working bee was held last month with around 150 people showing up to plant in the Jubilee Park area.
To donate towards the AstroTurf visit givealittle.co.nz/profile/charity/matakanacommunitygroup/pages
