The tennis courts at Central Lincoln County YMCA have always been a great place to make new friends. Many years ago, two men met there: Carl Sanford and Bob Ehrenfeld. They and others who met at the Y enjoyed friendly competition in the annual Ehrenfeld Open, held on a family court overlooking Muscongus Bay.

When Bob passed away in 2007, Carl and his wife Dru decided to honor his legacy by creating the Sanford Open, a tennis tournament that would benefit the Y’s tennis program.

Today, we proudly uphold this legacy, and the Sanford Open continues funding kids tennis at the Y. Last year alone, we provided free tennis programming for more than 700 children at the Y and through local schools, and provided free racquets to 160 children.

In fact, we’re the only National Junior Tennis and Learning Chapter in Maine (a USTA Foundation program). This partnership allows our tennis programs to be part of food security solutions and, like all Y programs, help close the gap when families need help in any area of a child’s development. What better place to build self esteem and a healthy lifestyle than on the Y courts?

All of this is possible because of the Sanford Open—and you. We hope you'll join us!