U.S. Tennis Association Donates 3,000 Tennis Balls to Irvington School System

The following announcement is from the United States Tennis Association:

Today, the United States Tennis Association’s Employee Green Committee, an internal, cross-functional team of 15 White Plains employees, delivered 3,000 used tennis balls to Irvington High School. Rather than disposing of them, the tennis balls were donated by USTA employees following tennis match play, clinics and tournaments, and were also provided from the USTA ball-testing offices. The Irvington School District will use the tennis balls for the bottom of chairs in their classrooms. This is the largest tennis ball request that the USTA Employee Green Committee has filled.

Since its inception in 2008, the USTA Employee Green Committee has collected and distributed more than 20,000 used tennis balls to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, physical therapy centers, recreation centers, and dog shelters nationwide.

“The Irvington Union Free School District was very happy to receive a donation of 3,000 used tennis balls from the USTA today,” said Scott Palermo, Irvington Schools Director of Pupil Services. “The tennis balls will be placed on the feet of desks and chairs to reduce background noise in classes, which include students with hearing impairments and/or auditory processing disorders. This donation reflected school/community cooperation and recycling, while supporting many students with disabilities. We want to give a huge thank you to the USTA and to the Irvington School District buildings and grounds crew for being willing to cut holes in 3000 tennis balls, so that they fit on the legs of the chairs and desks!”

The USTA Employee Green Committee is the longest-standing Employee Resource Groups at the USTA in White Plains. With 15 members who all work across different departments and offices at the USTA, the Employee Green Committee promotes and develops an environmentally-friendly workplace at the USTA National Offices. The Committee assists local organizations and farms to give back to the community, works to set and implement the USTA National Office’s recycling and energy policies, plans “Green” events for employees, and runs an active tennis ball “recycling by reusing” program.

Photo 1: From left, Amanda Korba, USTA; Patrick Dennis, USTA; Denise Ciccio, Irvington Schools Parent Volunteer; Ed Brandt, USTA; Scott Palermo, Irvington Schools Director of Pupil Services; Photo 2: 3,000 used tennis balls donated by the U.S. Tennis Association’s Employee Green Committee in White Plains are unloaded for the Irvington School District. Photo credit: USTA