Wow! What we wouldn’t have given to be at this summer camp!
Earlier this week a group of young people at the South Fulton Tennis Center in Georgia got a special visit from tennis icon, Venus Williams. Williams, who was in the area to compete in the BB&T Atlanta Open, also began her career learning to play at public city courts, and thought it only right to give back to the community.
“Atlanta is a tennis town. I don’t get here too often, but when I do, I try to do as much as I can,” Williams told WSB-TV. She made the visit to shine a light on providing funding for the courts. The South Fulton Tennis Center has 24 courts in need of renovation, which will cost the city about $600,000.
The center teaches hundreds of kids how to play tennis on the courts everyday. One of the campers, Ranan Givhan, said that Williams showing up “was like the best thing ever.” The city has already put in their bid for a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Tennis Association, but that still won’t be enough to cover the entire cost. Councilwoman Helen Willis and other city leaders hope the visit from Williams will highlight the importance of the facility.
The center is open seven days a week and provides programs for children as young as 5 years old. Williams said, “I love to be out here with the kids and the kids enjoy it too. It keeps me motivated. Hopefully we see some future stars come out of this.”
Venus Williams, a 3 time, #1 ranking professional tennis player, still makes time to give back to the community and make sure she uses her celebrity for good. You gotta love her!