‘Love’ Means Helping a Good Cause

Sometimes they run around in little shorts and skirts--squinting at the sun, chasing bouncing balls, acting like overgrown kids. On Friday night, local tennis enthusiasts put on their party clothes and headed to the Balboa Bay Club for “The Love Affair,” a black-tie benefit sponsored by the local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The party--which opened Saturday’s tennis tournament at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club--netted $45,000 for the fight against cystic fibrosis. Proceeds will be used for continuing research and patient care.

Serving ‘Em Right

For Saturday’s tourney, local pros were paired with amateurs for doubles play. Think the ams (who anted up $1,000 each) feared the pros (who played free)?

“When you play with these guys, it brings the level of your game way up,” said Phil Northcote, whose 5.5-rated game already lofted him to the top of the amateur list.

“The fun of playing with pros,” said John Guiltinan, “is that you have a chance to hit the amazing shots they make. When you watch them play you think: ‘OK, maybe I can’t serve like that. Maybe I can’t hit like that. But I know I can return his serve.

“There’s a little man inside your head that says, ‘I can do that,’ ” Guiltinan said. “This is your chance to see if you can.”

The Program

Fittingly, the party was magic-themed (although none of the sleight-of-hand artists were seen pulling topspin backhands or crafty drop shots from their trick bags). Decorations included a Merlinesque figure on a wall-hanging gazing at a top-hatted tennis ball in his crystal ball, and a galaxy of gold stars and half-moons dangling from the ceiling.

At cocktail hour, magicians mingled with the crowd. After hors d’oeuvres and silent auction bidding, guests dined on Caesar salad, salmon and ice cream, then bid on the pro-am tennis teams hoping to sponsor the tournament winner.

Music was provided by tennis pro Wayne Bryan, who teaches at the Cabrillo Racquet Club in Somis, and his band, the Inside Group.

Who’s Who

Cystic fibrosis “ambassador” for Southern California Susan Cloutier attended with date Paul Breland. Cloutier, who has cystic fibrosis, said it is her mission to increase public awareness of the genetic disease, which attacks the lungs and digestive system.

W. Daniel O’Connor chaired the party. John Craig and Irv Sturner co-chaired the tennis tournament. Barbara Hiller, Clive Freidenrich, Heidi Miller, Curt Starkweather, Lorie Diaz and Ed Postal were among committee members.

Quote

Party chairman O’Connor, who said he plays tennis “often but not well,” admitted that he finished rock bottom in last year’s tournament.

“I’m a good loser,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”