USTA Serves Awards

Nearly $1 million in grants in 2009

February 10, 2010 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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USTA Serves—Foundation for Academics. Character. Excellence., the philanthropic and charitable entity of the USTA, announced that under its “Aces for Kids” umbrella, it has awarded 24 year-end grants, for a total of $297,325. Among the organizations honored was Family and Children’s Association in Mineola, N.Y., with a $10,000 grant. The number of program grants awarded in 2009 was 37, for a total amount of $549,325. Combined with scholarship awards, USTA Serves distributed nearly $1 million in 2009.

USTA Serves awards grants to programs that successfully combine tennis and education and help children pursue their goals and highest dreams by succeeding in school and becoming responsible citizens.
Aces for Kids is a national initiative of USTA Serves. It strives to promote healthy lifestyles by combating childhood/adult obesity by providing disadvantaged, at-risk children the opportunity to learn to play tennis and improve their academic skills in a structured format. At Aces for Kids program sites, children between the ages of 5-18 learn about healthy nutrition and lifestyles, responsible citizenship, study skills, and computer literacy; interact with a mentor and other students; attend college preparatory sessions; and learn to play tennis in a team format.
Family & Children’s Association, Long Island’s human service network for more than a century, boasts more than 40 programs, carefully designed to help babies, children, adults, senior citizens and families lead more self-sufficient lives. The USTA Serves grant will fund the Challenger After-School Program, in Hempstead, N.Y. This tennis and education program serves 120 students, ages 5-16, and offers a range of educational and life skills/leadership development activities including nutritional awareness and cooking classes, alcohol and pregnancy prevention, homework help, tutoring, study skills, college prep and mentoring. The tennis aspect strives to promote healthy lifestyles.
“These programs are impacting the future of thousands of children, helping them to develop a healthy mentality and vital life skills that they will carry into adulthood,” said Karen Martin-Eliezer, chief executive, USTA Serves. “We are grateful for the generous support of the many corporations and individual donors that empower USTA Serves to distribute these life-changing funds.”
The 2009 year-end grants recipients:
 
1. Abundant Waters, New York, N.Y.
2. A’s & Aces, New Orleans
3. Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
4. CHAMPS Afterschool Enrichment Program, Erie, Pa.
5. City Parks Foundation, New York, N.Y.
6. Earthen Vessels Outreach, Pittsburgh
7. Family and Children’s Association, Mineola, N.Y.
8. Hamilton County Community Tennis Association, Indianapolis
9. Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program, New York, N.Y.
10. Harper for Kids, San Francisco
11. Hebni Nutrition Consultants Inc., Orlando
12. Houston Tennis Association Inc./NJTL, Houston, Texas
13. I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County, Boulder, Colo.
14. Indianola Main Street Association, Indianola, Miss.
15. Mentoring USA Inc., New York, N.Y.
16. Norwalk Grassroots Tennis Inc., Norwalk, Conn.
17. Ossining Community Tennis Association Inc., Ossining, N.Y.
18. Project Lovematch Inc., Saddle River, N.J.
19. Sportsmen’s Tennis Club Inc., Dorchester, Mass.
20. Tennis in the ‘Hood Inc., Fayetteville, Ga.
21. The Orthotic & Prosthetic Assistance Fund Inc., Langhorne, Pa.
22. United Neighbors Inc., Davenport, Iowa
23. University of Akron, Department of Sport Science & Wellness, Akron, Ohio
24. University of Hawaii’s Ace to Success, Honolulu
 

For more information, visit ustaserves.com.

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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