50th Anniversary Celebration Upcoming For Wayne Racquet Club

WAYNE, NJ — The Wayne Racquet Club is celebrating 50 years with an open house May 13, with activities and events planned to celebrate a half-century of tennis.

The club was founded in 1973 by a group of local tennis enthusiasts, and now boasts members from more than 50 towns in North Jersey, as well as internationally-born members from 23 different countries.

“The Open House is always one of our most fun days of the season, but as we’re celebrating 50 years in Wayne, we are pulling out all the stops to make this one extra special," said WRC Board Member Al Bracco.

May is also National Tennis Month.

The open house will take place at 170 Colfax Ave in Wayne on Saturday, May 13 from noon-4 p.m., and is free and open to all. Snacks and drinks will also be served.

The Wayne Racquet Club is hosting round-robin tennis matches and other free events throughout the afternoon, including:

• Mini tennis clinics
• Cardio tennis
• Evaluations by certified physical therapists
• Massage therapist onsite
• Tennis conditioning demonstration
• Exhibition match by local pros

The WRC is also hosting a racquet collection drive, and the collected equipment will go to tennis programs at high schools in Paterson.

If you would like to donate, you may bring a racquet to the open house, or drop one off at the club before the end of May. Racquets should be in playable condition with the strings and grip in fair shape.

Any non-members will get a free day of tennis at the club in exchange for a donated racquet, the club said.

Current and previous WRC Board members and current club members will also be there to answer any questions about the club. WRC is a private club but offers events and programs for non-members who want to learn how to play.

Anyone with questions about the event is asked to contact Diane Merolla (dianemerolla@yahoo.com) or Bassel Stassis (bstassis@pccc.edu).