SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (WRGB) — One local tennis organization came together Friday in honor of the Juneteenth holiday, paying tribute to civil rights icons like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
The group known as 15-Love spent the day helping clean up the Michigan Avenue tennis courts and surrounding park in Schenectady.
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15-Love was founded based on the philosophy of Arthur Ashe to quote, “Use tennis to teach the game of life,” and helps use the sport to connect inner-city children in the Capital Region.
We’re told Friday’s cleanup will help prepare the facility for summertime play, while making much-needed improvements to help bring more people out to play.
“So we had over 40 volunteers, parents and children,” said Maxine Brisport, the interim executive director of 15-Love. “To see families come out on a day off, especially I was most impressed with the number of teenagers we had, and that’s a testament to 15-Love, because these are our participants, so they truly understand.”
The cleanup is part of the United States Tennis Association’s effort to inspire 100 million hours of service by Martin Luther King Jr.’s 100th birthday in 2029.
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