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USTA Serves is nominated in the category honoring professional sports leagues, player associations or sports philanthropy organizations.
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By Nicholas J. Walz, USTA.com
USTA Serves has been selected as a finalist for the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, the most prestigious honor awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation's largest philanthropy devoted solely to improving the health of all Americans.
The Steve Patterson award celebrates and promotes those in the sports world who are improving lives by leveraging the unique influence of athletics. In 2013, the award will be distributed to deserving honorees in three separate categories. USTA Serves is a finalist in a category established last year, recognizing a professional sports league, player association or sports philanthropy organization based in the United States, Canada or internationally. Awards are also given to a professional sports team and to an individual/coach’s foundation.
"We are honored and delighted to be recognized for such an incredible award," said USTA Serves President Mary Carillo. "USTA Serves truly represent the essence of what it means to take a stand on promoting and supporting others whose dedication to tennis and education helps the youth of our nation flourish. We thank the RWJF for shedding light on the notion that sports can and continue to play a vital role in strengthening communities, and we are glad to be a part of this mission alongside so many other great organizations and individuals."
Earlier this year, USTA Serves announced the results of the "USTA Serves Special Report, More Than a Sport: Tennis, Education and Health," the first nationwide study to analyze the educational, behavioral and health benefits to adolescents who participate in tennis.
USTA Serves is a finalist among some of the nation’s top philanthropic organizations including the San Francisco 49ers, the Portland Timbers, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, the Tony Hawk Foundation, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc., and the LA84 Foundation, a member of the USTA’s National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network.
The winners will be announced Sept. 25, 2013, at a ceremony in Princeton, N.J.
"It's an incredible achievement for these finalists to be recognized for the outstanding philanthropic work they are doing in their respective communities to promote health and healthy living," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, RWJF president and CEO. "All of the finalists are leaders in their communities and they have the power to make real and lasting change. We celebrate the positive impact these organizations are making to help others and to promote a culture of health in the nation."
The RWJF created the award in 2005 and named it after Patterson, the late and legendary former three-time UCLA champion, NBA player and men’s basketball head coach at Arizona State University.