Tennis champions, celeb followers and philanthropists will come collectively subsequent month to have a good time the work of the Harlem Junior Tennis & Schooling Program (HJTEP).
You will be a part of the half and a contributor to a worthy trigger.
The HJTEP 52nd Annual Gala on Might 13 on the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York Metropolis. Tickets for the gala can be found at www.HJTEP.org or data@dwightjohnsondesign.com
Emceed by WCBS-TV information anchor Maurice DuBois, the star-studded gala celebrates the success of the practically 1,000 kids who profit from HJTEP tennis and education schemes yearly.
Three of HJTEP’s most ardent supporters can be honored in 2024: Stan Smith, the Corridor of Fame tennis participant who could be much more well-known for his signature footwear; Michelle Blake-Wilson, a proud HJTEP alumna and Board members who’s managing companion of latest advertising and marketing company The B’elle Group; and Johnson & Johnson MedTech – working to unravel the world’s most urgent healthcare challenges via improvements on the intersection of biology and know-how.
A spotlight of the gala is the stay public sale which can supply priceless and distinctive packages together with: a 2025 Indian Wells, BNP Paribas Open VIP Package deal together with, field seats, airfare and lodging; a golf outing with Stan Smith at a personal golf membership within the Hamptons; a seven-night Grand Mayan Mexico Expertise; and an Underneath The Tuscan Solar, luxurious personal four-bedroom villa in Tuscany to accommodate as much as eight friends, with cooking and cleansing providers and an Italian wine tour.
“The success of the HJTEP for the previous 52 years wouldn’t have been doable with out the selfless dedication from scores of individuals like Stan and Michelle and firms resembling Johnson & Johnson who’ve supported our mission and helped us develop,” mentioned Katrina Adams, HJTEP Government Director. “We stay up for this chance to thank our mates and supporters and introduce them to lots of the kids immediately benefitting from our applications.”
The Shining Star Award acknowledges a person who has shone their gentle on HJTEP. Will probably be offered to Stan Smith, a revered determine within the sport for his on-court achievements, quiet confidence, ineffable dignity, and unshakable integrity. Inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame in 1987, the 6’4” Californian rose to prominence within the 1960’s and 1970’s, capturing 64 singles titles (48 within the Open period) together with the 1971 US Open and 1972 Wimbledon Championships. He additionally teamed with Bob Lutz to earn 4 US Open doubles titles and one an Australian Open crown. Moreover, he compiled a 37-5 match document as a member of 11 U.S Davis Cup groups, together with seven profitable squads.
Nevertheless, Smith’s affect extends far past his athletic prowess. In collaboration with Adidas, he launched the long-lasting Stan Smith tennis sneakers in 1971. These sneakers, distinguished by their minimalist design and timeless attraction, turned a cultural phenomenon, transcending the boundaries of sport to go away an indelible mark on vogue and fashionable tradition greater than 50 years later.
The James R. Kelly III Chairman’s Award honors a visual and vocal supporter of HJTEP who has been each a frontrunner in supporting youth and who promotes the significance of training. Michelle Blake-Wilson, a member of the HJTEP Board of Administrators since 2010 is the 2024 honoree At present, the managing companion of The B’elle Group, she has developed and executes sponsorship activation applications for a number of the most recognizable manufacturers on the planet. She additionally serves as CEO of ONYX Media, a digital platform celebrating the tales of Black girls and women via the lens of sport. A graduate of Hampton College, she earned her MBA from Columbia College in 2004. Michelle is a half-sister of former ATP gamers James and Thomas Blake, who, like Michelle and her different brother Jason, all participated within the HJTEP program as kids.
The HJTEP Company Award is being offered this yr to Johnson & Johnson MedTech whose help of HJTEP for greater than a decade has included offering first support kits and monetary grants. Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s future engagement will supply mentorship, enhancement of HJTEP STEM alternatives, and way more.
The Harlem Junior Tennis & Schooling Program builds champions for all times in tennis, training, and wellness. HJTEP continues to convey tennis to youth from high-risk, low-income inner-city neighborhoods whereas providing alternatives for self-development, emphasizing training and a constructive code of conduct. Tennis teaches kids important life abilities, sportsmanship, self-discipline, social and emotional competence and the right way to lead more healthy lives. HJTEP insists on tutorial achievement, and the typical GPA of individuals is 3.1.
The 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit group opens a brand new door for a lot of underserved girls and boys, ages 6-18, to study the sport of tennis and to realize tutorial success. With, a 95% highschool commencement charge, 25% of graduates incomes tennis scholarships, a 3.1 common GPA for individuals, and greater than 80% of program graduates attending faculty, HJTEP’s outcomes converse for the persevering with success of its applications.
Partnering with native colleges and group facilities, HJTEP serves college students year-round throughout the college yr and with summer season applications. The expertise on the courts and in HJTEP’s education schemes develops the “entire baby”—in sports activities, college, and life. Tennis teaches youngsters important life abilities, sportsmanship, self-discipline, social and emotional competence, and the right way to battle weight problems and lead more healthy lives. Of their after-school programming, individuals additionally study to enhance communication abilities and lift their health ranges. For extra data go to www.HJTEP.org
Editor’s Be aware: The Junior Tennis Program in Harlem was based by William “Invoice” Brown. He was an superior man. He was in Westchester County laying carpets by day and he was the night time watchman on the indoor tennis membership • The Rye Racket membership. It didn’t take lengthy earlier than phrase leaked that this muscular man was a tennis participant primarily based on his observations. The person had beautiful clean strokes. And the endurance of a saint. Inside just a few weeks he was the membership’s tennis professional. And the stringer there Phil employed him to show at his tennis membership within the summers in New Rochelle . Ultimately he had his personal place in Harlem as properly. All credit score for this system goes again to that expensive man. He belongs within the Jap Tennis Corridor of Fame.
