Manny Thank Yous

You probably thought I misspelled “Manny” in the title of this blog post.  Not so. The “Manny” spelling refers to the UIS Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach, Manny Velasco.  Coach Velasco is a tennis legend in Springfield and at UIS.  He is not only a great tennis coach who has mentored many UIS athletes over the years; but he is also a great friend to the Springfield community.  In fact, the local tennis facility in Washington Park is named in his honor. This year local sponsors, the Bank of Springfield, Staff Carpet, Giganti and Giganti, and Midwest Office Supply, honored Coach Velasco by naming UIS Athletics as one of the recipients of their annual Caddyshack Open Golf Fundraiser. Because of Coach Velasco and his leadership,  the event raised $10,000 that will support scholarships for UIS student athletes.  Thank you, Manny, for being such a great leader and role model in our community and thanks, also to the sponsors, donors and volunteers who made this year’s Caddyshack Open so successful. It is great to be a part of such a generous community that is always giving back!