Concert celebrates 10th anniversary of ‘Rovello Memorial Tennis Courts’

A “Celebration in the Park” took place on Saturday, July 27, at PP&R’s Berkeley Park in the Eastmoreland neighborhood – it included a family-friendly concert to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the dedication of the “Alex Rovello Memorial Tennis Courts”.

Alex Rovello was a participant in Cleveland High School’s only state championship tennis team, and was a nationally-ranked Junior Player in the United States Tennis Association. He went on to be a star tennis player at the University of Oregon – until his sudden accidental death in a diving mishap in the Cascades, in May of 2013.

“Alex started learning to play tennis when he was two years old, here at Berkeley Park,” his mother, Geri Rovello, recalled at the celebration. “He went on to win four state singles titles while in high school.”

She pointed out that these particular tennis courts have long been the place where Cleveland High and LaSalle High School tennis players practice.

“We established the Alex Rovello Memorial Foundation, which paid for the renovation of the tennis courts here in the park, with contributions from about 1,400 individuals and organizations, under a Memorandum of Understanding with Portland Parks & Recreation,” recollected Rovello. “And, the foundation also pays for the upkeep of the courts.”

About the celebratory concert – she explained that her husband, Jim, “loves jazz music, and it’s helped us recover from a lot of grief. So, this concert by ‘smooth jazz’ artist Brian Simpson is our ‘thank you’ to all of our supporters – the Foundation is covering all the costs for this.”

Guests also enjoyed sausages from Otto’s Sausage Kitchen in Woodstock, prepared by the store’s owner – Gretchen Eichentopf – and Aidan O’Brien.

If you’re not familiar with Berkeley Park, and these tennis courts, you’ll find them at the intersection of S.E. Bybee Boulevard and Chavez Boulevard (the former S.E. 39th Avenue). Even if you don’t play tennis, they’re really worth a visit.