A total of $23,400 was disbursed by the CYTF Board of Trustees at their spring meeting. This figure represents a $5,000 increase over what was disbursed in the spring of last year.
In all, eighteen youth received a special need scholarship that will help them engage with tennis this summer. Support also provides access to equipment (racquets, strings, shoes, tennis balls) so these junior players have the necessary tools to be successful.
The following three organizations also received funding in the form of grants to help support youth tennis offerings.
The Denver Tennis Park will host a community-based tennis camp in Northfield this July and will target kids from Montbello who have been engaged in tennis over the past few years as part of their community SERVES program. In all, 30 kids between the ages of 5-14 are expected to participate in the weeklong camp. The grant will help support instructor costs and healthy snacks for participants.
Fraser Valley Metro Recreation District will provide tennis lessons and fun play formats for approximately 50 youth between the ages of 5-13 twice a week from June through August, in partnership with their summer day camp program. The grant will specifically help support programming costs, staff and the purchase of orange and green dot low compression tennis balls.
Valverde Elementary School is an anchor in a community in southwest Denver. The neighborhood is often referred to as a “desert” in terms of after school programming, safe outdoor spaces and access to healthy food. Valverde Elementary serves a critical role in the community. Students were recently exposed to tennis and organizers are expanding offerings through an after school tennis club. CYTF dollars will support the painting of permanent lines on the playground, equipment, staff and healthy snacks for the 18 kids (3rd-5th grade) who are expected to participate in the first session.
The CYTF will consider scholarship and grant applications again in the fall. The application deadline is September 1.