BRADENTON – The Panda Foundation recently announced a new initiative designed to help and guide urban youth to a healthy, productive adulthood. Strength In Action, Inc.
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has contracted with the Panda Foundation and Pope Golf to offer tennis and golf training at the Lincoln Middle School in Palmetto. Tennis and golf are considered “elite” sports, not just because of their one-on-one nature of the sports, but the fact that they are lifetime sports played by children 5 to 95 years old.
The Panda Foundation was founded in 2000 to provide health, nutrition and tutoring to children, using tennis as the hook. With the support of an array of partners; Blake Medical Center, Manatee County Government, Manatee County Schools and local mentors, the foundation delivers important messages on proper eating habits, dental and health care and self-esteem each month. In this way, the imagination of the children is captured in the hopes of preventing the instances of childhood obesity and diabetes.
The launch of this National Junior Tennis, Golf and Learning Program kicked off on Friday, February 15, 2013 at the Lincoln Middle School. A recognition ceremony was also held thanking the Pittsburgh Pirates for their support of this initiative. Partnering with the Manatee County School system, teachers offer tutoring in the subjects of Science, Technology, English Literacy and Math (STEM).
About The Panda Foundation
The Panda Foundation was established as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2000. Its mission is twofold: First, to help children by intervening in their lives and facilitating their
successful futures, using tennis as the hook. Literacy, reading, and education are our mission’s primary focal points. Second, to provide the training and resources to help those youngsters that aspire to professional tennis careers.
Services
Low self-esteem, drugs, poor health and diminishing educational opportunities are the obstacles that separate urban youth from the nation at large. Most of the children served by TPF come from single-parent families with annual incomes less than $25,000 per year, seeing few avenues to a
better life.
The organization provides children with educational material, mentoring, and training seminars using tennis as the vehicle to deliver these services. Services includes items critical to success like tutoring, guidance, and medical support to address the issue of childhood obesity and diabetes.
The foundation's Professional Development division provides training, coaching and support to talented young people that aspire to play on the professional tennis tour. This division creates a link between its 10 & Under program, and its National Junior Tennis & Learning Program for teens and adulthood.
The Panda Foundation would like to thank the following individuals and companies for their support:
Mr. Nick Bollettieri
Mr. Wilbert R. Davis
Mr. Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees
Mr. John Hendrickson
Ms. Mary Lou Whitney
Blake Medical Center
Manatee County Government
Manatee County Board of Education
American Tennis Association
The Tonkawa Foundation
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