Tennis Briefs: USTA Student Grants; Gainesville After-School Fundraiser

Aug. 19 Fundraiser to Benefit Gainesville Tennis After-School Program

Gainesville Area Community Tennis Association (GACTA), an official USTA Florida Community Tennis Association, will host its 3rd annual Bryan Shelton Celebration, “AIM for the Stars,” on Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, to benefit its tennis outreach program, Aces in Motion (AIM).

“Our event features an evening celebration, AIM for the Stars, on Friday at the Gainesville Woman’s Club from 6:30-10 p.m.,” says GACTA Executive Director Addison Staples. “We sold out our tickets our last year, and it was great fun.”

Tickets for the Friday evening celebration are $50 each. Tickets can be purchased online at www.gainesvilletennis.org.

“Mike Oransky, director of tennis for the City of Gainesville, will be honored for his 35 years of service to the Gainesville tennis community,” Staples says. “A raffle and silent auction, keynote speaker Bryan Shelton the University of Florida men’s head tennis coach, and presentations by AIM participants will fill out the evening.”

The Gainesville Area Community Tennis Association is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that promotes health, character development and education through tennis. GACTA’s Aces in Motion program focuses on under-served youth of all abilities living in Gainesville, Florida. AIM uses tennis to help improve the lives of primarily low-income students, from elementary school through high school, with an emphasis on physical fitness, character development and improving study skills and academic performance.

For more information on the fundraising event, the GACTA or AIM, go to www.gainesvilletennis.org.

Cocoa Beach, Gainesville Tennis Students Receive USTA Foundation National Scholarships

Two Florida students received scholarships from the USTA Foundation, the national charitable foundation of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), as part of grants to 49 high school students totaling $408,000.

Alexandra Andrews of Cocoa Beach received a Professional Tennis Management Scholarship ($10,000 award), which targets high school seniors who exhibit a passion for tennis and plan on attending one of six colleges currently offering a Professional Tennis Management program. Andrews will attend Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C.

Joo Hyun Soo of Gainesville received a USTA Foundation College Education Scholarship ($10,000 award) for high school seniors who have excelled academically, demonstrated community service and participated in an organized tennis program.

One of the objectives of the USTA Foundation is to encourage children to pursue their goals and highest dreams by succeeding in school and becoming responsible citizens. Each year, the USTA Foundation awards scholarships to deserving youth who have participated in USTA and other organized youth tennis programs such as a National Junior Tennis and Learning Network (NJTL) chapter, have demonstrated high academic achievement and require financial assistance for college matriculation.

“This year’s college scholarship recipients are truly an outstanding group of gifted and talented students on and off the tennis court,” said Dan Faber, executive director, USTA Foundation. “They possess a quality of leadership and the willingness to succeed as a result of their commitment to the sport of tennis as well as their academic endeavors. The USTA Foundation is proud to honor them with these well-deserved scholarships that will help impact their college goals and success.”

For more information on the USTA Foundation, visit www.ustafoundation.com.