IN MEMORY OF WINTON S. FILIPEK SR.
​A letter from the Filipek family
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Our father, Winton S. Filipek, passed away unexpectedly in January 2005.
Dad was an all-around athlete. He played 3rd base for the semi-professional Insilco baseball team in the 1940s. He also showed athletic skill in basketball, bowling and golf. In 1993 he was honored in Meriden and presented the Sportsman of Distinction Award, the induction into the Meriden Sports Hall of Fame.
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However, it was tennis that held a special place in his heart. Wint was a Meriden city champion at age 16, played an exhibition match with nationally ranked and Meriden’s own Lois Felix and played tennis for 60 years.
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Our family partnered with the Wallingford YMCA in 2005 to have our father’s name added to their annual tennis tournament. In return, we made an agreement with the YMCA to increase the number of entries and improve their existing tournament. By 2011 our dad's tournament was the largest community tennis tournament in New England.
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From 2005 to 2013 the tournament raised a significant amount of money for our father’s scholarship fund and the Wallingford Family YMCA. After careful consideration, the Filipek Family decided to end the partnership with the YMCA at the end of 2011.
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All proceeds from the 2021 tournament benefit the Alzheimer's Association of CT. In 2016, the tournament donated a record $30,150 back into our local communities. Due to the success of the tournament and the generosity of friends and family, a total of over $168,500 in 15 years has been donated back into our local communities from this event.
This year's tournament in his memory will be held at Wesleyan University beautiful John Wood Memorial Tennis Courts.
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His five children, all tennis players, ask you to help us to honor our father in this special way, and consider contributing to his scholarship fund.
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Click Here to Donate to the Wint. Sr. Scholarship Fund
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Thank you,