The Doylestown Tennis Club, in partnership with Philly Kidz, is hosting 80 Philadelphia children for a day of tennis lessons, activities and pizza.
Throughout the afternoon on Friday, the children will have an opportunity to learn about the sport and be exposed to all it has to offer, said Lisbet Christiansen, who bought the tennis club with her husband, Soren Christiansen, in 2020.
The children will receive tennis rackets, balls and nets to take home and be encouraged to play and practice.
“If just a few like it, it could really be great…playing tennis helps kids stay out of trouble and get better grades,” said Lisbet Christiansen. She said the sport played a big role in helping her own kids adjust to a new life when the family moved to the U.S. from Denmark about 20 years ago.
The program is the first initiative of the club’s Mullaney Scholarship Fund. Created by the Christiansens in honor of the tennis club’s founder and longtime owner, Ed Mullaney, its mission, said Lisbet, is “to empower, educate and equip young tennis players.”
The nonprofit will also provide scholarships to several Philadelphia schools to support efforts to start tennis programs, Lisbet said.
“I’m very excited about it,” she said.
As the scholarship fund grows, it hopes to support Doylestown-area kids interested in tennis whose families aren’t able to afford lessons, the co-owner said.
Philly Kidz works to introduce inner city children to new opportunities and experiences while also providing a wide range of academic and performing arts programs.
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