By: USTA Florida Foundation Staff

Community tennis programs in Florida received a late 2019 boost from the USTA Florida Section Foundation on Giving Tuesday, with the awarding of $34,115.80 in grants to help expand tennis programming, fund new programs, and provide equipment to organizations serving children and adults throughout the state.

The funding was part of the USTA Florida Section Foundation’s second grant cycle, which runs from August through October. The Foundation, the giving arm of USTA Florida, returns 90 percent of the annual contributions it receives from the “Play Tennis!” license plate and 100 percent from other sources directly back into the Florida tennis community, primarily to grassroots community programs. That includes youth tennis programs, adaptive tennis programs for those with special needs, community tennis programs in economically challenged areas, along with facility assistance in the renovation, refurbishment, and building of quality public tennis facilities.

In the second half of 2019, just over $34,000 in grant funding was awarded to several organizations, many of which are helmed or assisted by volunteers, in Eatonville, Delray Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, Palm Coast, Plantation, and Sarasota.

“We’re thrilled to be able to close out the year by awarding these grants,” said USTA Florida Section Foundation Executive Director Alexis Johnson. “Being able to give back to community programs that help people of all ages and abilities enjoy the sport of a lifetime is the best way to cap off 2019, and it couldn’t be possible without the support of our generous donors and impact investors.”

USTA Florida Section Foundation 2nd cycle grants:

Delray Beach – Delray Beach Youth Tennis Foundation: tennis components for Racquets Robotics program ($695.80)
Eatonville – Denton Johnson Tennis Corporation: community tennis programming ($2,800), elementary school tennis program ($1,576)
Jacksonville – MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation: adaptive & special needs tennis clinics ($4,600)
Orlando – T.E.A.M Junior Tennis, Inc.: T.E.A.M wheelchair program ($4,900)
Orlando – Posh Rock Tennis Foundation: tennis programming expansion ($7,700), tennis programming expansion ($2,499)
Palm Coast – Flagler Community Education: programming equipment costs ($1,045)
Plantation – Plantation Community Tennis CTA: Tennis in the Parks Plantation program ($4,300)
Sarasota – B. Harris Kids: RLTCC summer program ($4,000)

Since 2010, The USTA Florida Section Foundation has distributed nearly $1,300,000 in equipment and financial support to community tennis programs serving people of all ages and abilities throughout Florida.

Besides making an impact investment, you can support Florida recreational grassroots tennis with the purchase of a “Play Tennis!” license plate or by signing-up for the RoundUp App, where 100 percent of the change received from rounding-up your purchases goes straight back into the communities needing it the most through grant award opportunities.

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.