November 20, 2012, Roanoke, VA. Thanks to a generous gift from John and Jeanne Fishwick, North Cross School will be renovating their tennis facility. Improvements are underway and the newly named Fishwick Tennis Center will be ready for competition in the spring of 2013.

With the gift from the Fishwicks, a number of updates will be made. All six courts will be resurfaced and a bottom rail will be installed around the courts. A section of the fencing will be removed to provide spectators an unimpeded view. The entire fence will be painted black and windscreens, donated by Roanoke Country Club, will be installed. Finally, for the proud family members and friends of the NCS tennis teams, an additional bleacher section will also be installed.

John Fishwick attended North Cross School through the eighth grade. In 1971, during his last year at the School, he joined the boys’ varsity tennis team. That year the team was the runner-up in Roanoke’s city championship. After one successful year on the North Cross tennis team, John played high school tennis at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and, in college he was a member of the team at Harvard. John and Jeanne’s son, Jack, is a current student at North Cross School and continues his father’s legacy as a member of the tennis team.

“We are so delighted to be able to help further the tennis program for the students of North Cross School”, says Fishwick. “My son, Jack, and I share a passion for this sport. As a family, we wanted to express our love for the sport and the school by enhancing the program for years to come.”

Tennis coach, Robert Robillard, says “No other team in our league has such a facility; it will be the best on-campus facility in the Roanoke Valley for years to come.”

North Cross School is a college-preparatory day school grounded in a strong liberal arts and science curriculum combined with exceptional co-curricular programs. The academic program, from junior kindergarten through twelfth grade, prepares students to become responsible, successful citizens by encouraging them to explore their interests and develop their talents. The School is located at 4254 Colonial Avenue, Roanoke, VA, 24018.

Submitted by Whitney Campbell