VegasTennis.com's Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis Foundation held two block parties in May. May is Tennis Month in America. The first block party, held in Boulder City, 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas, boasted over 100 children and their families. Most participants had never played tennis before, but local player Molly Rudner, whose famous comedian mother Rita Rudner, got in the swing of things and showed the other children how to play.
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"It was amazing to see so many children play tennis for the first time and enjoy themselves. It was so special because we brought the older children, who get help from the Foundation, to volunteer their time and mentor the younger beginner children," explained Marty Hennessy who helped organize this event with his daughter Michele and Foundation Executive Director Hilliary Heard.
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With the help of Dann Battistone from the USTA-Nevada office, children were given tennis rackets and instruction using the new Quick Start format and low compression easy to hit balls. Parents and friends were encouraged to participate. After games and prizes were given, the group was treated to an exhibition from the older Foundation children Kimberly Yee, who is now ranked #1 in the nation and Omar Garcia a top player in the state of Nevada.
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The atmosphere was picture perfect and tennis families enjoyed an outside barbecue, Piņata’s and one of the best scenic views of Nevada over-looking Lake Mead. The Bolder City Park is known for Big Horn sheep that graced us with their presence and enjoyed the attention from the viewers.
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The second block party held at the end of the month at the Las Vegas Hilton was also a great success. The party was a culmination and team effort. Participants in this team effort included: players from the Andre Agassi Boys and Girls Club; Hilton Tennis Academy; City of Las Vegas Darling Tennis Center; Las Vegas Chair Tennis Association; Clark County middle schools; and, many people who stopped in due to local advertising including event flyer's and television airings.
The block party included free food, drinks, piņatas, games, tons of prizes, a tennis exhibition between a top-ranked, chair player, John Ryan (#8 in the USA) and a top-ranked, able bodied junior player.
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"The tennis block party was a great event as it allowed wheelchair players to interact with some of the young talent in our city. The wheelchair players truly had fun doing drills with able-bodied players. We hope to participate in these events more often," said Frank Vandekerckhove, chair of the Intermountain wheelchair committee.
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"It was amazing to see the hustle, hard work and skill of the chair players," explained Omar Garcia. "It is a big inspiration to watch them play!"
USTA National manager, David Slade, participated in the activities and lent ideas and support to the Block party organizers.
"It was a big deal to have a national staff person come to Las Vegas and support our block party," explained USTA-Nevada Executive Director Ryan Wolfington. "Talking with him we were able to learn what other towns are doing to grow the game, while sharing our own success stories."
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VegasTennis.com's Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis Foundation is a USTA-NJTL chapter program. The Foundation’s mission is "to Inspire children through mentoring, Tennis and Education." In the last 5 years, the Foundation has partnered with Entertainment legend Tony Bennett and Mr. Mike Agassi to raise close to a million dollars. The first 19 children to come through their "Leadership Program" received college scholarships to play tennis at a division 1 level. The Foundation supports and helps over 300 children annually with its city wide programming which includes; after school programs; college scholarship seminars; an annual awards banquet; tutoring and mentoring programs; healthy eating programs; a city wide raffle; a positive social life program; and, a one-of-a kind East Coast Leadership tour.
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