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This is sure a busy four days of tennis for everyone here at the State
League Championships, and it’s only the beginning for the Walker 3.0 ladies
team from McDonough.
Every Monday evening throughout June and July these ladies volunteer their
time to bring tennis to kids at “A Friend’s House,” a non-profit Henry
county foster home for neglected and abused children.
They spend two hours each week on the court with kids ages 8-15, sharing not
only their love for tennis, but their love for these kids.
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Janet Carreker, Maria Dreher,
Donna Major, Kim Funte, Christy Hughes, Glynnis Slaten, Captain
Cissy Walker, Phyllis Hersey, Betsy Roques
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Team members have purchased and donated racquets to the program, and at the
end of the eight week session they host an annual barbeque, complete with
plenty of homemade favorites for everyone.
These summer Mondays are the only time the kids at A Friend’s House get to
play and learn about tennis – and they really seem to enjoy it. Each child
has an exit interview before leaving A Friend’s House where they’re asked
what they liked most while they were there. A very consistent answer is
tennis!
Team captain Cissy Walker tells me one boy she worked with liked tennis so
much that once he was placed with his grandmother in Florida he made sure he
found a place where he could continue playing.
Our generous ladies give a lot of their time and a lot of themselves to
these kids each summer. I asked Cissy why she does it. “Volunteering makes
me feel good,” she said, “and after hitting with me one boy told me it was
very exciting for him because he had never hit with a ‘pro’ before.”
If
you’d like to learn more about A Friend’s House, or perhaps donate some
needed items or time of your own, please visit:
www.afriendshouse.org/friends-house. |
