Racquets for All turned 10 in 2018, and of the racquets donated last year, 90 came in the form of new frames provided by longtime USTA Colorado partner, Subaru of America who fittingly also had a big birthday in 2018, celebrating 50 years of existence.
“Each year, Subaru contributes dollars earmarked for the CYTF’s Racquets for All program as part of their official vehicle partnership of USTA Colorado so that new racquets can be purchased and added to the Racquets for All inventory”, said Lisa Schaefer, Associate Executive Director for USTA Colorado and the CYTF. “In any given year we need more youth or adult racquets than we have on-hand. Subaru’s contribution really helps us keep up with the demand in areas of need.”
A Conversation about Impact with Tony Graziano, Subaru of America’s Regional Vice President
CYTF: Subaru has been part of the success of Racquets for All for many years. Since the program’s inception, we’ve given out over 6000 racquets to those in need. What does it mean to you to be involved with getting racquets in the hands of people who need help in order to play tennis?
TG: Congratulations to Racquets for All for celebrating its 10th year! It shows there is a need and that this program is making an impact. For me personally, I know that exposing kids to this great sport can help them keep active, have fun and provide an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors all while teaching them a sport that can last a lifetime. It also provides an avenue to meet new people and expand your world — you never know who you might meet on the tennis court or the places that tennis can take you in life!
CYTF: How does the RFA program match up with Subaru’s values?
TG: The RFA program matches up well with Subaru’s values in a couple of ways — recycling is in our DNA – our automotive plant in Lafayette, Indiana was the first zero landfill factory in the U.S. And on a local basis, our Subaru Retailers have partnered with a company called TerraCycle where they collect all types of disposable cups and lids, candy and snack wrappers and any brand of single serve coffee and tea capsules -retailers collect them, send them to TerraCycle who then repurposes the waste into high quality products like park benches, picnic tables and playground material. In fact, we have a couple of their Adirondack Chairs on our patio in our Denver Regional Office! Add that Subaru strives to be more than a car company and works hard to ‘Share the Love” and we find that the RFA program fits perfectly with our brand.
CYTF: What does the support of Racquets for All mean to Subaru?
TG: We are honored and proud that Subaru is able to support the RFA program — keeping kids active, having fun and enjoying the Colorado outdoors is certainly what this state and the Subaru brand is all about!