1st Annual Lehigh Valley Open
A note from the organizers...
Allentown Center City
Chess Club
1st Annual Lehigh Valley Open
A note from the organizers...
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On April 6, 2002, the Inaugural Lehigh Valley Open was held at Northampton Area Community College's Gates Center. The event was a great success. The organizing committee would like to take the time and thank those who contributed. First, and foremost, we would like to thank the players, without whom the tournament would not have been possible, or necessary. There was a greater than expected turnout, especially in the scholastic sections. The adults also came out in encouraging numbers. We hope you all had a great time, and we hope to see you, and your chess-playing friends, next year. Start preparing now, it will surely be a competitive event. Special thanks go to the co-host of the event: Northampton Area Community College's Horizons for Youth program. Surely they had little inkling of what to expect when they agreed to host both a scholastic and a Grand Prix tournament on the same day. Amazingly, they aren't backing away from hosting next year's event. Gail Mrowinski, the director of Horizons for Youth, and her dedicated staff went above and beyond the call of duty. Her cooperation and assistance were indispensable during the planning and running of the tournament. We were fortunate to have an elite staff of tournament directors for the event. Dr. Ira Lee Riddle did a magnificent job with the pairings. Players and staff alike were in awe of his efficiency and punctuality. He managed to keep the tournament on schedule, which is often a Herculean task. Eric Johnson and Sascha Fink were our floor TDs for the adult and scholastic sections respectively. They were vital to keeping order in the playing halls, and were both the epitome of professionalism and grace under pressure. We also had the services of some volunteer labor, in particular Dave Leindecker. His contributions included acting as a “runner,” manning the snack bar, answering questions, acting as a guide, among other tasks. He was greatly appreciated by all the tournament staff. Other volunteers included players such as Meghan Fink and Larry Cesare, who stayed after to tournament to contribute to the clean-up effort. Last, but not least, we'd like to thank the parents, families, and friends of all the participants. Chess tournaments can be chaotic and stressful, even for the non-combatants. We had nothing but courtesy, respect, and cooperation from everyone. If we forgot to mention anyone specifically, we apologize. The tournament was a true team effort, and it was a pleasure to be a part of it. We hope this is just the beginning of many years of successful events. See you all next year! Sincerely, |
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