USTA Serves, the charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), has awarded year-end and program grants, in addition to scholarships, totaling more than $1 million in 2010.
Four adaptive awards were granted to organizations that impact people with disabilities, including $45,000 to wheelchair tennis programs worldwide. The USTA Grassroots Wheelchair Program Grants were awarded to 21 organizations that promote and develop the sport including OPAF and The First Clinics, which also received a year-end grant.
The awards aim to provide people with disabilities and at-risk youth in underserved communities with the opportunity to learn to play tennis and improve their academic skills, as well as to combat obesity by promoting healthy lifestyle choices. To date, USTA Serves has granted more than $10 million to programs that share these goals.
“USTA Serves is excited to continue investing financial and other resources to support organizations that believe in the powerful combination of tennis and education,” Deborah Slaner Larkin, executive director of USTA Serves, said. “We are proud of each organization’s expertise, commitment, and passion, and commend them for making an impact in the lives of the people they serve.”