The Fort Receives $50,000
USTA Facility Funding Grant

USTA Facility Grant Sign.jpg

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced that the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center has received a $50,000 Facility Funding Grant in support of its Capital Campaign. This is the second Facility Funding Grant given by the USTA to Fred Wells in support of the Capital Campaign as they gave $10,000 to assist with Phase I of the campaign last November.

The goal of the USTA Facility Funding Grant is to provide communities access to safe, appealing and functional tennis environments, while assisting communities in leveraging their tennis facilities to promote lifelong healthy activity, and improve their programming by advancing the latest tennis innovations for all program types.

“We are so grateful to the USTA for their unwavering support and tremendous partnership in enabling us to deliver our mission of bringing people together of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to embrace the lifelong game of tennis while serving under-resourced youth with the support of the Community,” Capital Campaign Manager Lisa Mushett said.

The FORTify Our Future Capital Campaign completed Phase II in September and is fundraising now for its third and final phase set to take place in September of 2020 which includes:

  • Replacement of the air-supported dome over back courts

  • New LED lighting in the back dome

  • Energy-efficient air conditioning

  • Court resurfacing of all five courts

  • Upgraded parking facilities with new lighting, security cameras and 28 additional parking spaces

  • New sound systems in both domes

By making these mandatory improvements, the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center will be able to renew its lease with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board and continue providing tennis and life skills programming to the community and our TennisWorks after-school participants.

With the generous support of all during the inaugural Gala (where over $180,000 was raised) and the USTA Facilty Funding Grant, The Fort has raised over $950,000 of it $1.7 million goal thus far for the Capital Campaign!