USTA Pledges to Donate $350K to Restore Tennis Facilities, Programs in Puerto Rico

"There is much to be done beyond the tennis court as Puerto Rico rebuilds, but this is where the USTA can utilize their expertise, and make an impact," a press release said.

The United State Tennis Association, along with 17 USTA Sections and the USTA Foundation, announced it has pledged $350,000 to restore tennis facilities and re-start tennis programming throughout Puerto Rico. The donation comes one year after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

"There is much to be done beyond the tennis court as Puerto Rico rebuilds, but this is where the USTA can utilize their expertise, and make an impact," USTA Chairman of the Board and President Katrina Adams said in a press release. "The goal of this project is to breathe new life into these facilities and programs, and give the people the chance to step onto the court and for that brief period of time, use the sport of tennis to return to normalcy."

People can make donations through the USTA Foundation. 

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico last September and tracked across much of the island, knocking the entire power grid offline and causing extensive flooding. It was not until August that power was almost completely restored across the country.

Following the hurricane, athletes across various sports donated money and coordinated relief efforts. In October 2017, Monica Puig and Maria Sharapova traveled to Puerto Rico to help with recovery efforts. Puig is the island's first-ever Olympic gold medalist.