THOMPSON, INTERACTING WITH TREVOR GO TO THOSE OF THE THINGS THAT I TAKE FROM A PRO
DAY LIKE THIS.
>> 25 YEARS AGO MALIVAI WASHINGTON WAS A YOUNG RISING TENNIS STAR COMING OFF
APPEARANCE IN THE WIMBLEDON
FINALS. AND EVEN AT THAT YOUNG
AGE HE WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
♪
>> THAT SMELL WASHINGTON IN 19 96 PLAYING IN THE FINALS OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS TENNIS
TOURNAMENT IN
♪
>> THE WORLD. HE WAS ON TOP OF
HIS GAME.
BUT A FEW MONTHS LATER, HIS
WORLD CHANGED, WASHINGTON
INJURED HIS KNEE IN THE 1997
DAVIS CUP ON CRUTCHES AND
UNABLE TO
PLAY TENNIS. HE FOCUSED ON THE
WORK OF THE FOUNDATION
INTRODUCING CANISTER KIDS MIGHT
NOT NATURALLY COME TO THE SPORT
AND PROVIDING ACADEMIC
ENRICHMENT AN AFTER-SCHOOL
TUTORING BACK THEN IT WAS
REALLY JUST A DREAM.
>> I CAN’T TELL YOU
HOW MANY BUSINESS MEETINGS AND
THAT I HAD. MYSELF
AND TERRY WITH VARIOUS.
COMPANIES
CEO’S OTHER NONPROFITS A LOT
OF INDIVIDUALS SAYING THIS IS
WHAT I WANT TO DO AND THIS IS
WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE. AND IT WORKED OUT
GOOD BECAUSE
IN TERMS OF NAME RECOGNITION
AND NOTORIETY. THAT WAS AS BIG
AS I WOULD I
EVER WAS.
>> THE TIMING OF THE INJURY AND
THE NUMBER OF MAJOR AMERICAN
TENNIS PLAYERS WHOM HE KNEW
FROM COMPETITION HELP DRAW SOME
BIG NAMES TO WORLEY FUND
RAISING EVENTS.
>> OUR FIRST ANNUAL. OUR MAJOR
CHARITY THAT OUR GALA.
>> IN.
>> 1997 2 OF THE BIGGEST NAMES
IN TENNIS WHERE THEY’RE ANDRE
AGASSI, AND
CHRIS EVER THEN THEY WERE OUT
AND THEY WERE THEY WERE
TREMENDOUS AND THEY’VE
SUPPORTED US OVER THE YEARS
AS WELL.
>> WHILE THOSE FUNDRAISING
EVENTS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE
EARLY STAGES WASHINGTON AND THE
FOUNDATION’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TERRY FLORIO
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE
IMPACT OF THE FOUNDATION FOR
THE PAST 25 YEARS AND THE
IMPACT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT AT
FIRST THEY PARTNERED WITH THE
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB SINCE THEN
THE ROSTER HAS GROWN
DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE
INCEPTION OF THE FOUNDATION
MORE THAN 800 KIDS HAVE BEEN
ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAMS.
100% OF THEM HAVE GRADUATED
HIGH SCHOOL IN 4 YEARS. NONE
HAVE BECOME TEEN PARENTS AND
ONLY 5 HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN
THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN
2019
THE LAST FULL SCHOOL YEAR
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC EVERY
SINGLE STUDENT IN THE PROGRAM
WAS PROMOTED TO THE NEXT GRADE.
THIS FROM A GROUP MADE UP
PREDOMINANTLY OF BLACK KIDS
FROM FAMILIES WITH AN AVERAGE
HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF JUST
$21,000 PER YEAR.
WASHINGTON SAYS ONE OF HIS
GOALS IS TO CONVINCE EVERY KID
TO GO OUT FOR HIS OR HER HIGH
SCHOOL TENNIS TEAM WHICH HELPS
BUILD A PRO TENNIS COMMUNITY
AROUND THEM.
>> SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T
ALWAYS OCCUR IN THEIR WORLD
WHETHER YOU WHETHER YOU’RE AT
ANDREW JACKSON OR WON’T USE ANY
OTHER HIGH SCHOOL.
ROBERT E LEE YOU’RE THINKING.
OH YES, SOME DO WANT TO PLAY ON
THE
TENNIS SHOES. AND WHEN YOU’RE
KID GROWING UP IN THE ’09 ZIP
CODE YOU’RE PROBABLY THINKING
FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL. BUT I
LOVE IT WHEN.
>> BEING ON.
>> BEING ON THEIR HIGH SCHOOL
TEAM IS ONE OF THEIR GOALS AND
THEY ACHIEVED THAT.
>> WHAT’S NEXT FOR THEM OUT OF
WASHINGTON UW FOUNDATION.
NOW EXPECTS THE WORK TO
CONTINUE FAR BEYOND HIS LIFE.
>> I WANTED TO TRY TO DO
SOMETHING THAT WAS SUSTAINABLE
UNFORTUNATELY WITH A LOT OF
LOVE A LOT OF SUPPORT FINANCIAL
SUPPORT MORAL SUPPORT
VOLUNTEER SUPPORT. BOARD MEMBER
OF STAFF SUPPORT WE’VE BEEN
ABLE TO DO IT FOR 25 YEARS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE BIGGEST
SUCCESS STORIES AS YOUNG MAN
NAMED MARK CAME INTO THE
PROGRAM IN
6TH GRADE IT WAS LESS THAN 4
YEARS AFTER THE FOUNDATION WAS
LAUNCHED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT
TENNIS. FEW
YEARS LATER, JOIN THE TEAM AT
LEE HIGH SCHOOL THEN WENT TO
PLAY AS A WALK ON AT FLORIDA,
AM NOW HE’S BACK AS THE HEAD
PRO AT THE FOUNDATION.
HE SAYS PLAYING TENNIS KEPT HIM
OUT OF TROUBLE AS A KID AND NOW
HE’S GIVING BACK AND IT ALL
STARTED WITH THE MALIVAI
WASHINGTON YOUTH FOUNDATION,
25 YEARS AGO. >>MARY BAER: SO IMPRESSIVE I AL JUST BELIEVES IN THESE KIDS AND
OF COURSE THEN THEY GET THE
CONFIDENCE AND THE GIVING JUST
KEEPS ON GETTING SERVED UP
RIGHT I REALLY I LIKE THAT IT
DOES AND HE IS SO GENUINE ABOUT
THIS.
>> HE SAYS ALMOST EVERY SINGLE
DAY. HE’S INVOLVED IN WHAT’S
GOING ON HERE
WHETHER IT’S FUND RAISING OR
INSPIRING KIDS WE’RE JUST
TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF