Tennis Director Helps Secure $20,000 for Court Repairs

Shortly after Hurricane Sandy ruined eight tennis courts at 35th Street and damaged two other tennis venues in Ocean City, Phil Birnbaum learned of a United States Tennis Association grant program for towns that lost tennis facilities in the storm.

Birnbaum led an effort to apply for a grant, and on Wednesday afternoon, he delivered a $20,000 check to Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian.

Birnbaum is director of Ocean City Tennis Programs, head coach at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and a retired Ocean City teacher.

The grant will supplement the $175,000 the city appropriated to repair the courts at 35th Street (replacing the turf surface with hard courts). It also will help facilitate repairs at tennis facilities at Fifth Street and 18th Street.

Birnbaum said Ocean City Finance Director Frank Donato, Steve Longo and Georgia Arnold.

The check was delivered — appropriately enough — on the strings of a tennis racquet.