St. Andrews Residents Making a Difference
St. Andrews members hosted visiting Israeli players representing various Israel Tennis and Education Centers (ITEC) on Center Court on March 14, 2023. This fun, annual fundraiser drew over 200 spectators and supporters, dressed in blues and whites to stand with Israel. While Jewish music played loudly, members enjoyed the opportunity to round robin with top Israeli players. The St Andrews Director of Tennis and former ATP player, Aaron Krickstein, then joined the ITEC Israeli delegation for some exciting drills and high-performance points. The performance on Center Court was followed by a spectacular poolside extravaganza open to all. As the sun set, guests enjoyed St. Andrews’ finest food selections, in addition to open bar.
ITEC represents a safe and nurturing environment in which these young people can learn vital life values while sharpening their tennis skills. The Israeli players include Yonatan Barak from Tel Aviv, Celine Absawi from Haifa, and Mika Dagan Fruchtman from Ra’anana. Mika Dagan was the first Israeli tennis player to receive an official invitation to participate in a ranking tournament in Dubai. Mika is ranked among the top eight tennis players in Israel and among the top 200 in the world. Mika shared this about herself, “I am very proud to serve at the IDF and represent Israel as a tennis player all over the globe. In 2019 I had the privilege to represent Israel in the U.A.E. I was so proud to play and see the Israeli flag waving there. Following my service, I hope to get a scholarship so I can earn my degree in the United States and play for a Division 1 school.”
The supporters behind this amazing event are co-chairs Laura and Rich Brounstein and Stacey and Craig Shapiro. Laura had this to say about ITEC, “Thanks to our awesome ITEC supporters, hundreds of thousands of Israeli children in 23 centers learn to co-exist and help promote peace in the region. It is incredible to see first-hand the accomplishments of ITEC in Israel.” St. Andrews holds a special place in ITEC’s heart as it is the home of one of the original six founders of ITEC, Dr. Bill Lippy and his wife, Sandra Lippy, both of whom have had a deep and lasting impact on the success of ITEC. ITEC’s sponsor for the St. Andrews event is ALINA Residences Boca Raton, an award-winning residential destination. This is the second year ALINA has supported the ITEC event in the St. Andrews community. To learn more about the event, please contact Yoni Yair, Sr. VP of Development for ITEC at yyair@itecenters.org