For the sixth consecutive year, the USTA Foundation has partnered with longtime US Open sponsor Chase to award 12 National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters with a $15,000 grant each in support of year-round tennis and education programming through the A.C.E. (Academic Creative Engagement) curriculum, the Foundation’s signature academic initiative. Chase has awarded more than $750,000 to select NJTL chapters within its six-year partnership with the Foundation.
On July 12, Chase will help each NJTL grant recipient host a “Return The Serve Fun Day,” to celebrate each chapter’s programming and its impact on youth. Thousands of students in the selected cities will take part in this nation-wide celebration.
Two new NJTL chapters and markets, “Legacy Youth Tennis & Education,” and “Tenacity” from Philadelphia and Boston respectively, will be participating in the celebration for the first time.
Each of the 12 local events will feature high-energy and fun tennis activities, off-court educational opportunities, and a healthy lunch for the youth participants of the respective NJTL programs, along with their families. In addition, the events will include a check presentation to the NJTL chapter leaders by a local Chase representative.
The following NJTL chapters will each receive a $15,000 grant:
- A's & Aces – New Orleans, LA
- Dallas Tennis Association – Addison, TX
- First Break Academy – Carson, CA
- Houston Tennis Association – Houston, TX
- Legacy Youth Tennis & Education – Philadelphia, PA
- MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation – Jacksonville, FL
- Metropolitan Tennis and Education Group – Upper Marlboro, MD
- New York Junior Tennis & Learning – Woodside, NY
- Portland Tennis & Education – Portland, OR
- San Francisco Recreation & Parks – San Francisco, CA
- Tenacity – Boston, MA
- The ACE Project – Riverdale, IL
In total, Chase has donated $950,000 to the USTA Foundation through the “Return The Serve” program, raising an additional $200,000 for the initiative in 2018 through the US Open “Art Courts,” in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the US Open. That successful initiative consisted of five local artists who were commissioned to turn tennis courts into their canvas. In the process, five public tennis facilities across the country targeted to benefit the city’s local NJTL chapter were restored.
“The USTA Foundation is once again honored to have Chase as an outstanding, mission-driven supporter,” said Dan Faber, USTA Foundation Executive Director. “As we celebrate 50 years of the NJTL network, we remain proud to serve as the beneficiary of the ‘Return The Serve’ initiative. Chase’s generosity and its help in hosting these events will help to heighten this celebratory year and continue expanding our academic programs that positively impact our youth participants.”
"Access to physical activity and education can have a critical impact on the health and overall well-being of children, particularly those in underserved communities,” said Kate Schoff, Executive Director for Sports and Entertainment at JPMorgan Chase. “As a sponsor of the US Open for over 35 years, we're proud of the USTA Foundation’s work to strengthen communities, and we’re looking forward to building on the impact NJTL programs have on the hundreds of thousands of youth across the country."