Boothbay Region High School was awarded a $1,500 athletics grant on Friday, April 4 to go toward the tennis program. The high school is one of 79 public schools in 31 states to receive a total of $101,000 in grants awarded by the California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program.

Mark Gorey, English teacher and boys' tennis coach, said the award was the result of an ad he saw in a magazine.

“I saw an ad in the NEA (National Education Association) magazine during Christmas vacation inviting educators to apply for a $1,500 grant, and I just went ahead and filled out the application,” Gorey said.

Gorey said when he got a call a few days ago from Amy Grosso, California Casualty’s regional supervisor, it came out of the blue. “I really didn't expect anything to come of it.”

Gorey said he plans to sit down with girls' tennis coach and YMCA Tennis Director Alex Arsenault to discuss the best ways to put the money to use. And he said it's going to come in handy. “Our tennis budget is minimal, and we haven't done any fundraising recently.”

The newly built tennis courts, designed by Danielle Betts of the Knickerbocker Group, will be used mainly for high school tennis, but Gorey said that the courts will benefit the community as a whole. “They will be used for tennis practice and matches when needed, but will be open to the public during non-school hours.”

Grosso and Lois Kilby-Chesley, Maine Education Association’s president, came to the high school to present the check to Gorey.

Grosso said that the athletics grant was established to help schools in need of funds to further their sports programs. “We know that school budgets are being slashed and the kids need to play sports — it's so important to do this,” Grosso said. “Mark Gorey took the time to apply for the grant along with hundreds of other applicants,” she said. “That's why I'm here today, for the boys and girls tennis that he has worked so hard to revive and get new courts for.”

In an email from Kilby-Chesley to the Boothbay Register, she explained the connection of California Casualty to the NEA.

“California Casualty provides auto and home insurance benefits to education professionals. The company shows its appreciation by providing the NEA family with opportunities for things like the $1,500 award given to Mark Gorey on Friday in Boothbay,” Kilby-Chesley wrote. “Hundreds of teachers across the country competed for part of $101,000. Mark Gorey's award for the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams stood out above the rest and Boothbay Regional High School was a beneficiary of California Casualty's generosity.”

Kilby-Chesley said she enjoys participating in events like this one. “We love doing this kind of thing. It's amazing to see the work that educators do.”

The other three schools in Maine who received grants were Ashland High School and Hodgdon High School.