by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
When Terry Florio looks across the street she sees a big tract of land and a pile of dirt that doesn’t seem to do much more than move each day.
In April, the executive director of the MaliVai Washington Foundation will see a brand new, state-of-the-art tennis/education complex. It’ll have nine tennis courts, a basketball court and a 9,200 square-foot facility complete with computer labs, locker rooms and office space. Considering April will mark the 10th anniversary of educational programs for kids at the Foundation, it seems only fitting to mark the milestone with a brand new facility.
Last month, the Foundation held its annual MaliVai Washington Celebrity Golf and Tennis Gala at the Florida Theatre. Highlighted by a performance from comedian/actor Bill Cosby, the two-day event generated nearly $150,000.
“It’s awesome. It’s the best we’ve ever done,” said Florio, adding the total topped last year’s by about $10,000. “Usually we do about $100,000 to $120,000, but we had a lot of people and a lot of cool items. Our top auction item was a trip to Hawaii that (former Jacksonville Jaguar) Tony Brackens bought for $15,000. He and his wife have been very generous to us over the years.”
It’s generosity like that of Brackens that has enabled the Foundation to grow over the past decade. Ten years ago, Florio said, the Foundation was a tennis organization designed to complement the local Boys and Girls Clubs and other youth organizations around town. There was also the occasional field trip and pizza party mixed in for good measure.
“Now, we have youth programs and tennis is the hook,” she said. “We have a homework program, teach life skills and go on field trips. We offer the gamut of youth development programs.”
Three years after establishing the Foundation, Washington — who has adopted Jacksonville as his hometown but grew up in Swartz Creek, Mich. — and Florio added Tennis-n-Tutoring. The first year, 27 kids signed up. Today, there are 120 enrolled and another 20-30 on a waiting list.
“We’re exceptionally pleased,” said Florio, who used to work with Washington years ago when she ran men’s tennis tournaments in Atlanta. “We’ve had tremendous support from the community and great participation with the school system. We’re one big family.”