Kennedy Funding Invitational in Full Swing at Dellwood

The Kennedy Funding Invitational kicked-off on Wednesday with the preliminary rounds of men's and women's tennis.  Winners of the day for the men were Todd Widom, Somdev Devvarman, and Alex Bogomolov.  Winners for the women were Jamie Loeb and Lauren Cash. 

The excitement continued Thursday, as Loeb defeated Cash, 6-4, 6-2.  On the men's side, Alejandro Falla defeated Vince Spadea, 6-4, 6-3.  Paul Goldstein won over Guillermo Canas in a thrilling match that was ended in a tiebreak on the third set with a final score of 6-1, 1-6, 7-6.  #1 seeded Michael Russell defeated best friend Todd Widom in a highly competitive but friendly match that ended 7-6, 6-3.  Bogomolov then defeated Devvarman 6-2, 7-5 to conclude the day.

The women's quarter finals and the men's semifinals continue today in what are sure to be some exciting matches.  Many of the players in the tournament are major competitors in the tennis world who come back again and again to support the Invitational.  According to Mitch Klein, one of the event organizers, most return because they love the warmth of the event and the community setting.  Each player who attends becomes almost as extended family over the course of the tournament, as families from the community put them up in their own homes.

In addition to the warmth and friendliness of the tournament, undoubtedly the players are drawn back by what the Invitational has accomplished for the cause itself.  Over the past four years, it has raised more than $2.5 million for the breast care centers at Nyack and Englewood hospitals.  This year they are hoping to raise an additional $500,000 for the fight against breast cancer. 

The tournament made its humble beginnings when Mitch Klein and Jimmy Miller decided to gather some money from a few friends to raise money for cancer research while enjoying some quality tennis.  The two friends were inspired for this by their love of tennis and the fact that both their lives had been touched by breast cancer through the affliction of their loved ones.

Klein and Miller collected about $2,500 in the first year to present a small prize to entice quality tennis players in the area to compete and raise money for the cause.  They then met the C.E.O of Kennedy Funding, Kevin Wolfer, who was interested in donating.  In appreciation of a generous donation, the tournament was named the Kennedy Funding Invitational.  With the expanded capacity for impact of the tournament, they decided to focus their efforts on breast cancer, which was the type of cancer that had directly effected their lives.

With the money from Kennedy Funding, the tournament's ability to attract top-players rose dramatically, and so did its exposure.  Ultimately, it had a pyramid effect, as more sponsors joined with the added exposure from these top-players.  This allowed the Invitational to attract even more highly-ranked players as it rapidly expanded into what it is today.  "It's a lot of hard work," said Klein, "but being able to combine tennis and saving lives in the fight against breast cancer has been really great."

The Kennedy Funding Invitational concludes Sunday, with the men's final on Saturday and the women's on Sunday.