The PTR Foundation explored a creative way to engage with the tennis community. For the first time, the Foundation conducted a July 4th silent auction on Instagram. The silent auction’s ‘purpose’ was to award two PTR Level 2 workshop / certification scholarships. Fifteen professionals participated in the event. Together, we raised $700. We were pleasantly excited to see how pros seamlessly bid and received real time notification when a higher bid was placed. We, on the other hand, were thrilled to witness exciting interactions between the bidders. We incurred $0 operating costs or any app fee for the auction. We would love to see everyone participate in our next silent auction.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. It’s a true pleasure to work with Jonathan @Tennis-Point, Kalindi @On-Court-Off-Court, Paige @PTR, Pat @VDM academy, Troy @USTA NorCal, Charles @USTA Foundation, Scott @Ed Snider Hockey Foundation and @PTRF Chairman, Craig and Jeff @Babolat, Allison@US.Head, and Bryan@City-Racquet Shop.

“Working with the PTR Foundation has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The Foundation’s dedication to promoting tennis and fostering growth within the community aligns seamlessly with the spirit of giving, making each donation an opportunity to positively impact the sport and its enthusiasts.” – Tennis-Point.

“It was a pleasure to support the PTR Foundation and donate to the silent auction! We will definitely support you again next year!” – On-Court-Off-Court

Thank you, Tennis-Point and On-Court-Off-Court for your kind words.

Jack Barker, PTR Foundation board member and a staunch supporter of Special Olympics, said, “From the beginning, my mission has been to use the game of tennis to enhance the lives of athletes with intellectual disabilities. In the process, I learned that SO athletes could teach me about hard work, patience, gratitude, enthusiasm, and trust. The journey will never end as there is always one more athlete in need of help. It has been a pleasure seeing society grow in acceptance, unity and respectfulness for these special athletes.”

We are all immensely grateful for the gift of tennis in our lives. Dennis Van der Meer established the Professional Tennis Registry Foundation (PTRF) in 1978 to make the gift of tennis accessible to everyone worldwide. To keep Dennis’ vision and mission alive, please consider donating to the non-profit PTRF. Your gift and Dennis’ gift to all of us will bring this remarkable sport within reach to countless people worldwide.

Dr. Jim Loehr

2023 Donation Goal – $100,000

17%

We have an ambition to help you, but we can’t do it alone.

There are many ways a kid can enjoy and serve the tennis universe. Jack Rende, a sophomore and honor student at Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, manages our social media all year around. Jack and his team won the U14 intermediate Division Junior Team Tennis Nationals. He teaches tennis at Tahoe Donner Tennis Center in the summer. Jack is fun, responsible, professional, creative and understands the tennis industry’s social media engagements. He is simply a joy to work with! Please encourage your kids to volunteer or intern at a club or a charity near you. It’s good for their soul, enhances life skills and the Linkedin network will love them more!

Dennis Van der Meer and PTR created its first Wheelchair tournament with only six players in 1985.

Are you thinking about taking Level 2 certification OR do you know anyone who deserves a Level 2 certification scholarship? The Foundation will award two 50% Level 2 workshop scholarships in 2023-24. The scholarships will be granted to well-deserving PTR Pros who for various socio-economic reasons might not be afforded the opportunity to advance their knowledge and skill sets. Applications are open till Sept. 30th, 2023. Check out details at https://ptrtennis.org/ptr-foundation/level-2-workshop-scholarship/

Your return on investment is priceless! Please come cheer, volunteer, and engage with our Special Olympics athletes at the North America Special Olympics Championships, at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on October 12- 14, 2023. Sign up for more details https://tinyurl.com/2023SONATennis

July Tennis Trivia

Which woman was No. 1 in the weekly WTA rankings the most times in a career?

(answer in August’s newsletter)