Post on 19-Feb-2022
Bob Okun
ThanksUSA
CEO and Chairman
Game. Set. Give.
Dear Tennis Thanks the Troops Supporter,
On behalf of the USPTA and ThanksUSA, thank you for participating in the 2014 Tennis
Thanks the Troops fundraising campaign to be held Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26,
2014.
Tennis enthusiasts have made lasting commitments to charitable causes, so we are delighted that you have chosen to support Tennis Thanks the Troops. This campaign supports
scholarships for the children and spouses of our U.S. military.
Enclosed in this Tennis Thanks the Troops kit are promotional materials for you to display
and use in your promotions. The materials are:
• Tennis Thanks the Troops Promotional Poster
• Tennis Thanks the Troops Promotional Flyer
• Fund-Raising Donation Card
• Return Envelope for Fund-Raising Donation Card
• Host Facility Tips for Success
Tennis Thanks The Troops Success Stories
These materials can also be downloaded at www.ThanksUSA.org, where you will also find
other promotional materials to further enhance participation at your facility.
Millions of tennis players and tennis fans will be inspired to participate in Tennis Thanks
the Troops 2014. By joining them, you too will help ensure a bright future for the families of
our military men and women.
Thank you,
Lisa Raymond
Former #1 WTA
ThanksUSA Spokesperson
John Embree
USPTA
CEO
Game. Set. Give.
Tips for Success
Tennis Thanks the Troops, an initiative of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA)
and ThanksUSA, will take place over Memorial Day weekend, May 24 – 26, at tennis facilities across
the country. Tennis facilities and pros will request donations from members, guests and fans of the
game.
The funds raised will go to the ThanksUSA organization to provide need-based post-secondary
educational scholarships to children and spouses of military men and women serving our great
nation.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
1. Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26, 2014
Tennis facilities and pros are asked to collect donations from members, guests and fans of the game.
2. Host facilities/professionals have the flexibility to maximize the success of
Tennis Thanks the Troops. Some ideas include:
• Post event details on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs or other social-media opportunities.
• Put a donation container along with a flier at the register.
• Tennis players, pros, members, guests and fans of the game can make contributions online at http://www.thanksusa.org/main/donate.html.
• Consider running the promotion for the entire month, in addition to hosting Tennis Thanks the
Troops over Memorial Day weekend
• Allow Veterans to play tennis for free and ask for donations.
• Have your men’s or women’s leagues run events.
• Coordinate a Tennis Thanks the Troops Tournament.
• Have prizes donated for a Silent Auction or Raffle.
• Give lessons/clinic and ask for donations.
• Donate $5 from every lesson (or more)
• Have your facility match donations generated from your tennis players.
• Seek a sponsor (a local business) to match all donations generated.
• Offer package deals including tennis balls and a lesson, and then direct a portion of the
package price for a donation.
• Offer incentives on merchandise purchases, i.e. instead of discounts for tennis players, direct
the savings on purchases for donations (for example: $5 donation for every shirt purchase)
• Use multiple locations to accept donations: tennis shop, grill room, courts, etc.
Game. Set. Give.
Tips for Success (cont’d)
TIPS ON PROMOTING YOUR PROGRAM
1. Inform Your Staff • Educate your staff on the event so they know how to respond to phone calls.
2. Use promotional materials • Hang the poster in the most visible locations.
• Post flier at registers and other locations.
• Make copies and pass along to community businesses to help promote your event.
3. Download additional materials at ThanksUSA.org • Print additional posters and fliers.
• Use the press-release template.
• Distribute the Tennis Thanks the Troops information to your staff so they are ready to inform
customers about the event.
4. Conduct local marketing/promotions • Use Social Media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Blogs to promote your events.
• Send press release to your local media, including daily and weekly newspapers, radio
stations, television stations and local websites that promote community events.
• Media prefer communications sent via email. If you can’t email, then fax or mail.
• For daily newspapers and local TV affiliates, send communications out at least one week prior
to the start of the event. The more notice you can provide, the better.
• Promote Tennis Thanks the Troops via email to your database of customers, leagues,
associations, etc.
• Post the Tennis Thanks the Troops flier on your website.
• Promote in your events/calendar section in newsletters.
5. Community Marketing • Ask local American Legion or ROTC to help with promotion and/or involvement.
• Ask VFW color guard to participate the day of your event.
• VA Hospitals and local bases may wish to help with promotion and/or involvement.
• Recruit local businesses and Chamber of Commerce to help promote and participate.
POST Event Complete the donation card and write one check for the total amount raised. (Please do not send cash. Make check payable to ThanksUSA.) This card is included in your packet and accessible at
ThanksUSA.org. **Please complete this card with the charge volume from the event. You may also
submit donations online at ThanksUSA.org
Use the enclosed return envelope for the donation card and send to:
ThanksUSA
1390 Chain Bridge Rd. #260
McLean, VA 221
703-855-4108
Game. Set. Give.
Best Practices
The San Diego Tennis Association
San Diego, California
The group has presented two scholarships in their name to ThanksUSA
scholars. They did so by including a donation option in their annual
Tennis Fest event registrations and hosting a silent auction throughout
the day.
The Berkeley Hills Country Club
Duluth, Georgia The club fundraised by hosting themed Tennis Mixers. They also
included a silent auction in their mixers which helped boost their
fundraising efforts. This past year they were able to present their first
scholarship to a Georgia military spouse.
Maharaj Tennis
Fernanda Beach, Florida Maharaj Tennis partnered with Cliff Drysdale Tennis to host a Round
Robin event over Memorial Day Weekend. They asked the event
participants to each donate to the campaign.
Lake Wood Country Club
Rockville, Maryland USPTA Pro John Clary hosted a tournament and a tennis clinic with
proceeds raised from the event being donated to Tennis Thanks the
Troops.
Tennis Thanks the Troops Supporters
Nationwide Special thanks to all the other pros and clubs that donated a portion of
their lessons, held a clinic or put a donation jar out at their club. You
are the reason we can continue to thank our troops with the gift of
education.
For Questions regarding Tennis Thanks the Troops, please contact:
Mandy Johnson at TTTT@ThanksUSA.org or 703.641.2407.
This participating tennis facility invites you to make a dona-tion to benefit the ThanksUSA Military Scholarship Program.
ThanksUSA provides college, technical and vocational school scholarships for the children and spouses of U.S. military personnel. Since 2006, over 3,000 scholarships have been awarded totaling nearly $10 million by ThanksUSA.
The USPTA proudly supports ThanksUSA and the Tennis Thanks The Troops campaign.
Serve for those who Serve
Join Tennis Thanks the Troops to give the gift of education to the families of our military.
www.ThanksUSA.org
T•H
•A •N •K
• S
U S A
TENNIS THANKS TROOPS
Event Details
Date:
Time:
This participating tennis facility invites you to make a donation to benefit the ThanksUSA Military Scholarship Program.
ThanksUSA provides college, technical and vocational school scholarships for the children and spouses of U.S. military personnel. Since 2006, over 3,000 scholarships have been awarded totaling nearly $10 million by ThanksUSA.
The USPTA proudly supports ThanksUSA and the Tennis Thanks The Troops campaign.
Serve for those who Serve
Join Tennis Thanks the Troops to give the gift of education to the families of our military.
www.ThanksUSA.org
T•H
•A •N •K
• S
U S A
TENNIS THANKS TROOPS
Event DetailsDate:
Time: