USTA Serves, the national charitable foundation of the United States Tennis Association, has granted 34 community tennis and education organizations in the U.S. more than $340,000 in grants. Combined with scholarship awards, USTA Serves distributed $1.7 million in 2012.
The bi-annual grant process, a national initiative of USTA Serves, was developed to provide disadvantaged, at-risk youth with the opportunity to participate in tennis and strive for academic excellence, and to help combat childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles. To date, USTA Serves has granted more than $11 million to fund 236 programs in 173 cities in 43 states, including more than $600,000 to adaptive tennis programs for people with special needs.
"USTA Serves is happy to support these organizations throughout the country who strive to provide systemic change for America’s youth, by promoting tennis and education," says Deborah Larkin, Executive Director, USTA Serves. "These organizations share our belief that tennis, combined with education, can have a lasting effect on the lives of children and help pave the way to a brighter future for them. It’s an honor to support these organizations, and we applaud them in their efforts."
The grant recipients are chosen by a Grant Proposal Review Committee comprised of USTA Serves board members and USTA national staff, with important input from USTA sections and committee personnel. Grants are awarded to programs that successfully demonstrate the ability to provide quality programming and measurable outcomes.
Here are the 34 selected programs that were awarded 2012 year-end grants by USTA Serves:
1. Aceing Autism Inc., Los Angeles
2. Adaptive Tennis Association Of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.
3. Carl E. Sanders Family YMCA at Buckhead, Atlanta, Ga.
4. Currey Ingram Academy, Brentwood, Tenn.
5. Dallas Tennis Association, Addison, Texas
6. Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia
7. FDDOC Winners' Circle, Inc., Shreveport, La.
8. Genesis School Inc., Kansas City, Mo.
9. Harper for Kids, San Francisco
10. HERO, Inc., Purchase, N.Y.
11. I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County, Boulder, Colo.
12. Inter American University Of Puerto Rico, San Juan, P.R.
13. International Rescue Committee, Inc., San Diego
14. MACH Academy, Inc., Augusta, Ga.
15. Monterey County Police Activities League, Prunedale, Calif.
16. New Haven Youth Tennis and Education, Inc., Guilford, Conn.
17. Our Military Kids Inc., McLean, Va.
18. Panda Foundation Inc., Bradenton, Fla.
19. Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA, Newport News, Va.
20. Police Athletic League Of Parsippany Troy Hills, Parsippany, N.J.
21. Prince George's Tennis And Education Foundation Inc., Upper Marlboro, Md.
22. Quickstart Tennis Of Central Virginia Inc., Ivy, Va.
23. Reach For College Inc., Washington, D.C.
24. Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands, East Sandwich, Mass.
25. Rodney Street Tennis and Tutoring Association, Wilmington, Del.
26. San Diego District Tennis Association, San Diego
27. Sportsmen’s Tennis Club, Dorchester, Mass.
28. Tennis & Education Inc., St. Paul, Minn.
29. Tennis for Charity Inc., Cincinnati
30. University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
31. University Of La Verne, La Verne, Calif.
32. Ventura Education Partnership, Ventura, Calif.
33. YMCA of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City, Mo.
34. Zina Garrison All Court Tennis Academy, Houston