Medical Lake tennis to aid programs

The Medical Lake High School tennis team is serving, lobbing and volleying for a couple of good causes.

For 16 hours next Wednesday and Thursday, the kids will hold their eighth annual Medical Lake Serve and Volley to benefit the Medical Lake Food Bank, Medical Lake Outreach Program and their own team.

From noon to midnight Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, the young athletes will teach free tennis lessons for kids and play games for special prizes at the school tennis courts.

“It’s just a fun time,” said Leroy Lemaster, Medical Lake tennis coach.

The kids will play hour games with people who sign up at the Medical Lake City Hall where pledge sheets are available. Equipment will be provided to those who need it.

Team members will raffle off a tennis racket and there will be donated prizes to win. Donations of food items, pet food and money are encouraged.

Lemaster said that during the first year of this event, team members played for 24 hours straight, but during the wee hours of the night, not many people came to watch. They changed it to 16 hours after that.

During the last seven years, students have raised around $20,000 and are hoping for another successful year.

“I enjoy it more than the kids,” Lemaster said.