USTA Serves, the philanthropic and charitable entity of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), announced it has awarded more than $400,000 in grants to 39 community tennis organizations and other foundations during its 2011 spring funding cycle.
The bi-annual granting process, a national initiative of USTA Serves, was developed to provide disadvantaged, at-risk children the opportunity to learn to play tennis and improve their academic skills in a structured format and to help combat childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles. To date, USTA Serves has disbursed more than $10 million to a variety of programs that work to support those aims.
At funded program sites, children between the ages of 5-18 learn about healthy nutrition and lifestyles, responsible citizenship, study skills and computer literacy. The grants, chosen by a Grant Proposal Review Committee comprised of Foundation board members and USTA national staff, with important input from USTA sections, are awarded to programs that successfully combine tennis and education and help children pursue their goals and highest dreams by leading healthier lives, succeeding in school and becoming healthier citizens.
"USTA Serves is proud to continue to support organizations that believe in the powerful combination of tennis and education to help make a difference in the lives of kids," says Mary Carillo, President, USTA Serves. "We’ve seen, time and again, that when you give young people a chance to succeed, they grab the opportunity and make the most of it. That’s why we support and commend these organizations that provide kids with that chance, and we look forward to supporting even more programs in the next grant cycle."
The following programs were awarded 2011 grants by USTA Serves:
Apple Ridge Farm, Roanoke, Va..
Atlanta Youth Tennis Foundation, Atlanta. Ga..
Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation (15-LOVE), Albany, N.Y.
CHAMPS Afterschool Program, Erie, P.A.
DhhEAF (Deaf and hard of hearing Educational Athletic Foundation), Los Angeles, Calif.
Eastern Adult Tennis Foundation, White Plains, N.Y.
First Serve New Mexico, Santa Fe, N.M.
Fort Collins Tennis Association – First Serve Fort Collins, Fort Collins, Colo.
Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center, St. Paul, Minn.
Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Greater Baltimore Tennis Patrons Association, Baltimore, Md.
Jewish Council for Youth Services, Chicago
Katie At The Bat, Narberth, Pa.
King Street Center, Burlington, Vt.
MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation, Jacksonville, Fla..
Mardy Fish Foundation, Vero Beach, Fla..
Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation, Milwaukee, Wis.
Morongo Basin Tennis Association, Yucca Valley, Calif.
National Dental Association, Washington, D.C.
Net Results Junior Tennis, Denver, Colo..
NJTL of Indianapolis, Indianapolis
NJTL of Trenton, Trenton, N.J.
Norwalk Grassroots Tennis, Norwalk, Ct.
Ossining Community Tennis Association, Ossining, N.Y.
Police Athletic League of Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y.
Prince Georges Tennis & Education Foundation, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Prospect Park Alliance, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Recreation Wish List Committee, Washington, D.C.
Ricardo Flores Magon Academy, Westminster, Colo.
RTK Community Learning & Technology Center, Kellyton, Ala..
Tenacity, Boston.
Tennis Allstars, Akron, Ohio.
Tennis Success, Corpus Christi, Tex..
University of Akron Foundation, Akron, Ohio.
Virginia Commonwealth University Foundation – Mary and Frances Youth Center, Richmond, Va..
Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, Washington, D.C.
White Plains BID, White Plains, N.Y.
Youth at Heart, Inc., Tulsa, Okla.
USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the USTA, provides financial support for disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs designed to improve health, build character, teach life skills and motivate students to strive for academic excellence. For more information on USTA Serves, visit www.usta.com/foundation.