By: USTA Florida Foundation Staff

The USTA Florida Section Foundation, the giving arm of USTA Florida, presented a $50,000 donation to the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation to help achieve a fundraising goal for the brand new “Club 904” Teen Center. The gift was presented by USTA Florida Section Foundation Director Dana Andrews and Executive Director Alexis Johnson during the 23rd annual Champions for Children Gala held Oct. 17, 2019. The contribution made the USTA Florida Section Foundation the last donor to make the project possible.

“We are thrilled to have received such a generous gift,” said MaliVai Washington. “The unwavering support from the USTA Florida Section Foundation and this evening’s generous $50,000 gift not only helped us pass our $5 million goal for our Club 904, but it will help us continue to serve up hope and change the lives of thousands of youth for decades to come.”

The MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation is a nonprofit and official USTA Florida community tennis association dedicated to empowering at-risk youth in the urban core of Jacksonville, Fla. Scheduled to open in early 2020, Club 904 will double the number of youth served through the foundation and will offer services including academic assistance, college preparation, job and leadership training, a variety of life skills, and elective courses and social activities.  The new 13,000+ square foot facility will round out the MWYF campus in the Durkeeville neighborhood of Jacksonville, which currently consists of a youth center, tennis complex and the City of Jacksonville’s Emmett Reed Center and Emmett Reed Park.

Through fundraising, contributions, and a generous grant to match up to $500,000 in donations, the nonprofit had nearly completed its capital campaign goal of $5 million for the new facility. With the USTA Florida Section Foundation’s $50,000 gift, the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation will accomplish its goal in making the project possible.

“The USTA Florida Section Foundation has been a supporter of the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation through our grant program for more than eight years,” said Donn Davis, USTA Florida Section Foundation President. “This new Teen Center will provide the MWYF the capacity to triple their middle and high school programs for kids throughout Jacksonville’s communities. We’re so happy to partner with this wonderful foundation to make this much-needed dream come true.”

ABOUT THE USTA FLORIDA SECTION FOUNDATION
With a mission of “Changing Lives through Tennis,” the USTA Florida Section Foundation provides financial support to organizations that help people of all ages and abilities improve their health and quality of life through the great game of tennis. Since 2010, the USTA Florida Section Foundation has awarded nearly $1,300,000 in equipment and financial support for tennis programs serving communities throughout Florida.