The USTA Foundation raised more than $5 million as part of its “Rally to Rebuild” campaign in support of National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) chapters in 250 diverse communities that serve up dreams to over 160,000 under-resourced youth across the country that have been under financial stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign, led by USTA Foundation Chair and tennis legend Chris Evert, launched in June and surpassed its initial goal of $5 million with the help of one million-dollar donations each from Jersey Mike’s Subs, the Manitou Fund – NMH Silo, as well as a combined donation from the Members of the USTA Foundation Board of Directors.
“I am so proud to have led the USTA Foundation's “Rally to Rebuild” campaign to give every student the opportunity to stay connected, mentally and physically strong, and academically engaged,” said Evert.
US Open sponsors Mercedes-Benz USA donated $50 for each of the 3,193 aces struck during the Men’s and Women’s Singles matches for a total of $159,650.
Emirates Airline donated $1,000 for every target hit as part of its Serves for Good campaign and contributed $50,000.
Donations were also made by US Open sponsors including American Express, Deloitte, and JPMorgan Chase. In addition, the campaign also received in-kind donations from Ralph Lauren and Wilson.
“The USTA Foundation expresses its heartfelt gratitude to each and every individual who helped make this campaign a smashing success,” said Dan Faber, Executive Director of the USTA Foundation. “COVID has hit our country and the communities our programs serve hard, so we are thrilled to be able to provide NJTLs with much needed support and funds to help with their sustainability and impactful programming.”