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East Palo Alto community is second to benefit from Emirates’ support of court refurbishment initiatives across the US
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Emirates’ support enables the construction of new tennis courts, uplifting of community facilities for youth in addition to securing grants and scholarships to California community, where the airline has operated since 2008
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Emirates’ is the Official Airline of the US Open and USTA pledges USD 2.5 million to fund tennis court restoration projects in urban areas nationwide in five-year commitment
EAST PALO ALTO, CA. – Emirates and the United States Tennis Association Foundation (USTA Foundation) have joined forces to present brand new tennis courts to the community of East Palo Alto as part of Emirates’ “Force for Good” court rejuvenation initiative. The world’s largest international airline’s contribution of USD 500,000 supported the construction of one of the six new courts in the California city in addition to funding programmes by East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT) to benefit youth in the community.
The global airline donated the funds as part of its five-year commitment of USD 2.5 million to support court rejuvenation projects across US cities. East Palo Alto is the second US city to benefit from Emirates’ partnership with the USTA Foundation for the provision of new tennis courts, following on from last year’s refurbishment of three tennis courts in Brooklyn’s De Hostos Playground, also made possible with a donation of USD 500,000 from Emirates.
The ‘Force for Good’ initiative uplifts communities and creates opportunities for youth of all ages to develop their sporting skills and engage in educational programs that contribute to their future success and overall wellbeing. Besides the construction of the new tennis courts which began last year, the funding will continue to support academic programming on-site and grants for youth who are talented in the sport of tennis and college scholarships.
The six brand new tennis courts were unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurated by officials from Emirates, USTA Foundation and EPATT in the presence of public officials representing the city of East Palo Alto. Legendary tennis coach Paul Goldstein was present to showcase the new courts with the first match, along with kids from the community who benefit from EPATT’s programming and facilities.
With the airline’s funding, Emirates has the naming rights to a tennis court, marked by a commemorative plaque and presented to Matthew Jones, Emirates’ VP – USA in acknowledgment of the airline’s contributions that enabled the initiative in East Palo Alto.
For the next three years Emirates’ funding is earmarked to support additional projects that will touch the lives of youth and families across the nation.
Emirates is the Official Airline of the US Open and has been a proud partner since 2012. The airline began its US operations with services to New York JFK in 2004, and today operates to 12 US cities, including two points in California, Los Angeles and San Francisco, in addition to Boston, Houston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Seattle, Newark, Dallas, Miami, Orlando, and New York JFK.
As a global airline, Emirates’ “Force for Good” initiative also supports social impact initiatives touching the lives of youth in local communities across the UK in partnership with Wimbledon. Emirates also makes an impact on communities around the world through its other partnerships, directly or through the Emirates Airline Foundation.
About the USTA
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, along with approximately 100 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and TikTok.
USTA Foundation Incorporated (USTAF or USTA Foundation), the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), supports the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, a nationwide group of more than 250 sports-based youth development organizations that use tennis as a vehicle to prepare young people from under-resourced communities for the challenges and opportunities of life. The NJTL network, co-founded in 1969 by tennis and cultural icon Arthur Ashe, along with Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, provides thousands of youth access to tennis, academic, and life-skills programs that help shape them into well-rounded adults. USTAF supports these NJTL chapters by providing grants, scholarships, capacity-building resources, and training, fortifying their local communities. USTAF raises money and awareness through donations, corporate support, and fundraisers, including the US Open Opening Night Gala. USTAF has awarded approximately $64 million in grants and scholarships to date. For more information, visit ustafoundation.com and stay connected through Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
SOURCE Emirates Airline
