Tock Earns Gold Award by Resurfacing HS Tennis Courts
Stephanie Tock, who is entering her senior year at Mahopac High School, is already leaving a gift that will be remembered long after she graduates. She chose to raise the money to resurface the high school tennis courts and oversee the projects implementation as the final goal of earning her Girl Scout Gold Award.
The gold award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. A young lady must complete a project that uses her passions to benefit the community. Tock’s passion is tennis.
She has been taking tennis lessons since she was five and has been on the Mahopac varsity tennis team for the past three years. Having played on the courts that were considered by many to be full of safety hazards, Tock decided to take matters into her own hands after the school district repeatedly refused to allocated funds for the resurfacing.
“She started this project and it was a really expensive proposition, said Tock’s father Joseph.
“I am not sure we were 100 percent convinced that she could raise that much money. We had no idea how much work was involved,” added her mother Jean.
“She was committed and she did it. We could not be prouder,” Joseph Tock stated.
Tock met with Angelo Pugliese of Sport Tech Construction Corp. and Copeland Coating who committed to donating $10,000 in labor and materials if Tock could raise the remaining funds needed.
“He didn’t think I could do it,” said Tock. Through other business donations, bake sales, car washes and tennis clinics Tock ended up raising $23,000.
With the extra funds Tock purchased two metal benches for her teammates to sit on rather than the ground they sat an previously.
Randy Mani of Hardscrabble Tennis Club in North Salem also donated two new nets for court 1 and court 4.
“I cannot tell you the mountains she moved to make this project a reality, said Mahopac Superintendent Thomas Manko. “Thank you on behalf of the school district, Stephanie you know that this is a resource that is used not only by our varsity athletes but our community as well.”
“Needless to say I think the courts look great,” said Tock during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Although she acknowledged that she was “frustrated” that kids ride their bikes and skateboards on courts.
She added, “I want to thank my parents for their unconditional love and support. I think it should be note that my parents did not donate money toward this project but the moral support surpasses any monetary donation they could have given.”
Tock’s project allowed the tennis courts to be resurfaced without the use of any taxpayer dollars. Tock will receive the Girl Scout Gold Award at a ceremony to be held later in the year.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.