top of page

"Raise A Racquet" for Capital Cup - May 21, 2023

CAPITAL CUP IS BACK after a 3-year hiatus! Our Raise A Racquet event was a great success!  Scroll down to see the beautiful photos taken. We thank our wonderful photographers the PCC Group LLC for capturing the joy and energy of the day.  Congratulations to the Champions & Runner's-Up of our Tennis & Pickleball tournaments; your skills and sportsmanship have inspired us all.  We extend our sincerest thanks to our sponsors and attendees for their incredible support and generosity in making this a fun event. Your contributions will directly empower kids through tennis and provide them with the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Raise A Racquet Tournament winners 2023 (2).png
RAR Sponsor Flyer 5-19-23 revised (1).png

     NJTL of Trenton hosted a fundraiser tournament for Tennis & Pickleball players Sunday, May 21, 2023. This exciting event was held in conjunction with NJTL's long time supporter, The Trenton Country Club. As the main event site, Trenton Country Club hosted tennis tournament play, a tennis exhibition as well as continental breakfast, lunch and an Awards Dinner buffet. Long time patrons of NJTLT, Barry Szaferman, Cheryl Taylor and Marc Vecchiolla were the event honorees. Multiple secondary tennis sites also hosted tournament play (see below).  The Pickleball Round Robin was held at Mercer Bucks Pickleball Club. 

     All proceeds will help NJTLT continue their mission of creating opportunities, providing academic programs as well as services to enhance the lives of under resourced youth in the Trenton and surrounding areas. NJTL's flagship Cadwalader Park Junior Champions Tennis Center is one of more than 500 United States Tennis Association Foundation (USTA) national nonprofit youth development organizations. The Trenton chapter was twice named the USTA Chapter of the Year and its original ACE (Academic Creative Engagement) program is a national model.  

​

2023 Honorees

image (1).png

Barry Szaferman

Co‐Managing Partner Barry Szaferman started Szaferman Lakind with fellow founding shareholders Arnold Lakind and Jeff Blumstein in October 1977. He has managed the firm since its inception, playing an important role in its growth as one of the largest law firms founded in Mercer County and its success as a full service law firm.

     During his tenure with the firm, Barry has served as Mercer County Counsel and as General Counsel to the Mercer County Improvement Authority. A leader in the Mercer County Bar Association (MCBA), he was President of the MCBA and the Mercer County Bar Foundation, and served as the Association’s Trustee to the New Jersey State Bar Association from 2006 through 2010. He was the Mercer County recipient of the 2001 Professional Lawyer of the Year Award presented by the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Commission on Professionalism in the Law. In 2014, the Central New Jersey Region of AJC honored Barry with its prestigious Judge Learned Hand Award.
     

Barry has received honors as both a family law attorney and business attorney. He has been included in the New Jersey Super Lawyers™ list issued by Thomson Reuters, every year from 2005 – 2017 for Business Law and again in 2020 through 2022 for Family Law. This recognition, which is given to no more than 5% of New Jersey’s attorneys, reflects Barry’s professional achievements and peer recognition. Barry was listed among BL Rankings, LLC’s The Best Lawyers in America® from 2016 through 2023 for his Family Law practice and was named a 2019 Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in the Princeton‐Metro region. He is also a Blue Ribbon Panelist on the Mercer County Matrimonial Early Settlement Panel, a privilege reserved for the most experienced matrimonial attorneys in the County. Barry has maintained Martindale‐Hubbell™’s highest rating of AV® Preeminent every year since 1992. Barry was also named the Business Leader of the Year by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce in November 2018.

     Barry has been very active in the Mercer County Tennis community and is presently on the Board and Vice Chairman of the Princeton Tennis Program.   Throughout the years, Barry and Szaferman Lakind have been consistent supporters of NJTL and many other local charities.

imagejpeg_0.jpg

Cheryl Taylor

Cheryl Taylor is a lifelong resident of the Trenton area.  She developed her passion for the game of tennis at an early age playing on the courts at Moody Park in Ewing, NJ.  She is currently the club manager at Bucks County Racquet Club, a position that she has held for over twenty years.  Last year she helped plan the trip to the US Open for her clubs 12yr under players to participate in the Net Generation on Court Experience.  

     She believes in the vision of Arthur Ashe and takes great pride in being able to help cultivate her local community through tennis and education.   She was welcomed as a board member to the NJTL of Trenton in 2005, where she serves as part of the Fundraising & Programming Committees and took on the role of co-chair for the annual fundraising gala in 2011 and 2012. Cheryl is proud to be a part of such an enthusiastic and dedicated board; a board which always strives to live up to its mission by providing opportunities for the children in the Trenton area.  Her contributions to the NJTLT have become some of her fondest memories.  Whether she is collecting donations of used racquets, helping the kids during the annual end of the summer picnic or running a site for our previous Capital Cups she is always cheerful and eager to help.  Cheryl is proud to serve the children of her local community with the NJTL of Trenton.

image.png

Marc Vecchiolla

Marc Vecchiolla has become synonymous with Mercer County tennis. He has served as Director of Tennis Operations with the Mercer County Park Commission since 1994, managing the tennis facility, which consists of 22 outdoor tennis courts, 4 outdoor pickleball courts, 6 indoor tennis courts and 3 Har-Tru courts and 2 platform tennis courts at The Hopewell Valley Golf Club. Vecchiolla oversees a staff of 20 employees and is responsible for all aspects of the facility. The Tennis Center serves a diverse clientele with a membership base of 1,500 players. The Mercer County Tennis Center offers leagues (700 players) and lesson programs (3,000 annual lesson spots) which operate at full capacity. Many tournaments and prestigious special events are also offered. Some of the special events include: The James E. Cryan Memorial Tournament, NJSIAA State High School Championships, NEC, MAAC, Region 19 College Championships, many USTA District and Sectional Championships and The Stone Age 

Open.  The facility has also hosted The US Open Sectional Qualifier, The National Special Olympic Games and The USTA International Hardcourt Championships featuring the best 18-year-olds in the world were held at the facility during his time as director. The complex at Mercer County Park was honored with the 1996, 2008, 2018 USTA National Outstanding Facility Awards, and Vecchiolla has accepted these awards at the U.S. Open.

      As a coach, Marc Vecchiolla’s goal is to get his tennis players to work hard, learn and have fun. The success of his Mercer County Community College men’s and women’s tennis teams aren’t ordinary. He has coached 163 players on 36 different teams while at Mercer. 46 players have achieved All-American honors under his tutelage.

      Vecchiolla helped re-establish the women’s tennis program in 1997 after an 11-year absence. Since then, the women’s team has won the NJCAA Division III title four times (1999, 2000, 2002 and 2005) and placed second four times (1998, 2001, 2006 and 2011). Vecchiolla was named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2005. He was inducted into the NJCAA Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005, becoming, at 36, its youngest inductee. The 1999- and 2000-Women’s Teams were recently inducted into The Mercer County Community College Athletic Hall of Fame. The Women’s program was elevated to division 1 in 2019. He served as the Men’s Coach from 2008-2019.

      Vecchiolla, a resident of Robbinsville, N.J., serves as President of The NJCAA Region 19 Coaches Association, has served on the Board of Directors for USTA Middle States Section, and serves as the Chair-Person for The Mercer County Tennis Hall of Fame Induction Dinners. A graduate of Steinert High School in Hamilton, N.J., he earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration concentration of marketing in 1991 from East Carolina University, where he was captain of the men's tennis team.

In his spare time Marc loves playing tennis and pickleball with his wife Mary.

Graphics

Committee

Committee

​

Ronak Amalani

Corey Ball

Justin Campbell

Donna DeLucia

Nancy Faherty

Melanie Haig

Jack Halperin

Kelly Keifer

Andrew Lieu

Ann LoPrinzi

Alan Meinster

Nancy Plum

Ron Rose

Albert Stark

Cheryl Taylor

Jean Thomas

Co-Chairs 

Ginny Mason 

Willa F. Inlender

​

Staff

Bob Loonie

Chris Liverman

​

Raise A Racquet Sponsors

Albert & Ellen Stark
Samina Kanwar & Thomas Madjanski

Platinum Sponsors

The Mason-Willig Family
Bill & Clare Bohnett

download.png
image001.png
PTP Final Logo .png
stark-logo-dt.png

Gold Sponsors

Sheryl & Joseph Punia

Silver Sponsors

download (1).jpg
logo.png

Jean Thomas
Mr. & Mrs. Matt Vecchiolla
Joan Bartl
Elliott & Patti Daley

Patron

Herring properties_edited.jpg

Herring Properties

Carol Mann
Anne Humes
Winning Touch Tennis
Kerry Perretta

In-Kind Sponsors

Jack Halperin
Marsilio's Kitchen

IMG_5878.jpg
MBPC Play 2.jpg
Capital Cup 2017-2.jpeg

EVENT BROCHURES:  

A Celebration of Tennis & Pickleball!  Tournament & Awards Presentation followed by Family Dinner Buffet.  

  • Click here for downloadable "Raise A Racquet for Capital Cup" brochure which includes Sponsorship opportunities and Dinner registration.

  • Click here for downloadable Tennis brochure.  

  • Click here for downloadable Pickleball brochure.

  • All pickleball players must sign a waiver form to play at Mercer Bucks Pickleball club.  Click here for waiver form.

 

VENUES :  

  • Main Tennis and Event Site: The Trenton Country Club, 201 Sullivan Way West, West Trenton, NJ

  • Main Pickleball Site:  Mercer Bucks Pickleball Club, 370 Sullivan Way, Ewing Township, NJ

  • Secondary Tennis Sites

    • Jr. Champions Tennis Center in Cadwalader Park, Intersection of W. State St. & Parkside Ave, Trenton, NJ  08618  (Park on Lenape or Parkside Ave.)

    • The Bedens Brook Club, 240 Rolling Brook Rd, Skillman, NJ

    • Pretty Brook Tennis Club, 229 Pretty Brook Rd., Princeton, NJ

    • Please note Bedens Brook & Pretty Brook require tennis whites 

 

SPONSORS :  

  • We are so grateful for the support of our sponsors and participants, who believe and support our mission.  Together, we are helping make a difference in the lives of so many youths.

  • NJTL of Trenton is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Tax I.D. #52-1260470

​

bottom of page