STORY Gonna Love It Tennis and volunteers It's no secret that my husband Errol and I love tennis. It has given us so much that we always try to find ways to give back.  We try do to this through volunteerism in various tennis events as well as active participation in the community. Recognizing the financial challenge to pay for higher education for a lot families, we started the Fil-Am tournament in 2007.   Non-profilt organizations like the Kona Visayan Club and now in 2020 the Fil-Am Hawaii Foundation, have been invaluable partners in this effort along with the help of selfless volunteers from the community. Proceeds are awarded to the recipients.  No monies … not a single cent is kept by the GLI committee, Kona Visayan Club/FilAm Hawaii Foundation, or any of the volunteers. We also organized the St. Michael’s Church tournament that helped raise monies to help rebuild the church that was damaged by the catastrophic 2006 quake. Although a new church has been built, we continue to help in reducing the debt that was needed to rebuild the church.  We also had the GLI Tennis series modeled after the US Open Series tournaments where players collect points by playing various tournaments.  Although discountinued, it brought about a revival of singles play on the island. Our fundraisers introduced a number of firsts and innovations to tennis on the island such as Team Tennis, Online Auction, Sampras Serve and Connor Comeback, Games, Vendor and Souvenir Booths, Dunk Tank, and more.  Introduced also are new tennis vernaculars like Too Juicy … Half my Age … Huli Huli Chicken … OJ … Legal Age … PreTeen … Net Too High on One Side … Someone Moved the Line … Lefty Spinny Thingy … That was not your ball … OUT--- standing, … Breadsticks … Double Deuce … Bad Intention… and few  more We appreciate all the support of like minded friends and volunteers who share our enthusiasm and willingness to help. Mahalo nui loa, Lovette Llantos

MAHALO

2023 Tournament is Pau

Wow!  What a wonderful weekend it was for our 14th annual charity event. We had about 200 players who participated in our tennis and pickleball tournaments. Participants and attendees of all ages came from near and far ... across the island, across the state, and from the mainland.  Congratulations to all the winners.  Check them out on the Results  page. Congratulations also to Nick Van Brunt who won the week’s stay at a luxury resort in Las Vegas for entering and playing in the pickleball tournament.  With all the tennis and pickleball players’ names in a box, his name was drawn at a raffle during the event. Mahalo to our Sponsors who made this event possible (see our Sponsors page).  Please patronize or recommend them as they too like you support and believe in the purpose and meaning of our charity event.  Mahalo to the Kona Visayan Club (KVC) who is our co- organizer. Under KVC President and Fil-Am Hawaii Foundation co-founder Jane Clement's leadership, KVC volunteers like Myrna Gooding; Aileen Cruz; Pia Salvador; Ruth Zetsche; the extended Presiados ohana with Rey, Monette, Sammie, Cosme, Juvy, Gino, Isiah, and Noah, to name a few; Ruvi Menoa; Eric and Isaac Clement, and the rest off the KVC members provided invaluable behind the scenes support at the tournament.  And of course, they provided the onolicious foods like pancit, adobo, chili dogs, etc. as well as snacks, fruits, desserts, and refreshments on Saturday and Sunday.  Much mahalo to Richard Kahalioumi, Director of Holua Racquet and Paddle, for providing the wonderful venue for this event and for always being one of our biggest advocates. A huge mahalo to the tennis committee Al Honey, Neal Ohata, and Lei Punihaole whose invaluable help made this tournament run so smoothly.  Mahalo also to Jim and Lee Kooler, Stan Kaneo, Tony Doliente, Sandy Caldwell, Fletcher Olson, and lots of other volunteers too many to list … we apologize but we thank you so much for all your help. Finally, we thank YOU and everyone in the community whose generosity and support help fuel our efforts to help graduating seniors pursue their dream of higher education.  After all, it is not about any of us.  It is and always will be about our keiki. Since inception, we’ve helped over 100 students with scholarship grants.  With your support, we continue out mission of helping our keiki go to college.

FACTS

UNIQUE TO FIL-AM TENNIS

Event Shirts to FIRST 50 paid registrants Onolicious Foods Refreshing  Drinks Sampras Serve Connor Comeback Dunk Tank Fun Family Activities Click for Special Lodging Rates and lots more.

filamtennishawaii

WELCOME

“E Komo Mai” The FilAm Friendship Tennis Tournament is a charity event that raises scholarship funds for eligible college bound West Hawaii graduating high school students.  Scholarship is open to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, creed/religion, or ethnic background. Over the past 12 years, we have helped over 90 students go to college. This is the biggest non-sanctioned United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournament in the state of Hawaii. It is perennially one of the most popular and anticipated sporting event of the year on the island. It attracts players and spectators from across the state and from the mainland.