The October 10 Pensacola Table Tennis Open was designed to help raise funds and raise awareness for the American Heart Association. The successful event did that and much more.

Spearheaded by L.A. Johnston and other leaders of the Pensacola Table Tennis Club, the tournament attracted many of the top college teams from Florida, Alabama and Mississippi ranging within two NCTTA Divisions (Florida and Dixie). The marathon of table tennis at Pensacola's Fricker Community Center lured many of the best from Florida State University, Mississippi College, the University of West Florida and Mississippi State University.

Also on hand: seasoned players who hail from the medical profession, the business world, the education folks and even an Assembly of God pastor. The players kept on slamming the hollow white balls until L.A. (tournament director) handed out the awards Saturday night, folded up the chairs and turned the lights on the gym floor in the historic Florida beach city. Natives of the USA, Venezuela, China, Panama, Mexico, India and other nations enjoyed the fellowship and table tennis from morning til night.

Check the Pensacola Table Tennis Club web site for more details on the day's matches and loads of photos. NCTTA President Willy Leparulo, the FSU graduate from Tallahassee, was among those winning key games and cheering on the Seminoles team in Spanish, Italian and English. Mississippi College added to the international flavor at the tournament with their own claps and cheers in Chinese during many tight matches between opponents and rival NCTTA schools.

The Pensacola tournament raised close to $900 for the American Heart Association. It attracted 41 players in the advanced giant round robin division and 23 others in the novice division, notes tournament director L.A. Johnston.

NCTTA is proud to see its member schools participate in such a worthy event and encourages other member schools in other divisions to partake in outside the regular College Table Tennis activities!

 
Got an idea for a newsletter story or NCTTA Feature?
Email Andy Kanengiser, at publicrelations@nctta.org