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Tennis great comes up with unique fundraiser
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Posted on Oct 09 2004
Two-time Micronesian Games medalist Eli Buenaventura wants to hit two birds with one stone.
With his storage room already filled up to the brim, the 53-year-old general manager of Calvo’s Insurance wants to sell the dozens of trophies he has mostly won in a local tennis career that started in 1986.
At the same time, Buenaventura, who is also a three-time president of the Filipino-American Tennis Association, wants to do his share to the community by donating the money raised from the sale of trophies to a local charity.
“I have over 100 trophies in my house. Most of them are still in good condition and can still be recycled. I want to get rid of them but would also want to see them go to good use.”
Buenaventura said that his old trophies might appeal to enterprising trophy-makers on island that could just replace the decals and plates that bear his name. He said local sports associations could also make use of the old trophies.
Buenaventura is selling the mementos from $3 to $8 each, depending on the quality, detail, and size of the trophies.
He said those interested in helping him clear up his storage room as well as chip in their share for a local charity could call him up at 234-5699.
Incidentally, Buenaventura also wants to make it clear that not all trophies he is parting with are from the sport of tennis. He said a handful of the souvenirs also come from golf and chess competitions he won in the last few years.
Before coming to Saipan in 1985, Buenaventura was the No. 1 tennis player in the insurance industry in the Philippines. He also ranked second in the same industry for chess.
His skills in golf, however, were honed on the greens and fairways of Saipan. Buenaventura is a single-handicapper and has been playing in the championship flight of island tournaments since 1996.
Buenaventura first shot to fame in the Commonwealth after winning a bronze medal for singles in the 1990 Micronesian Games held here on Saipan. He followed that up with a silver medal in team tennis four years later in the same Games in Guam. His teammates in that meet were Mike Mason, Jeff Race, Tim Goodwin, and Donn Dunlop.
