Play Tennis - Save Lives
Glimmer of Hope's Efforts in Ethiopia

Christine Schatz
Lake Travis High School 2009
Austin, Texas

I have had the privilege of playing tennis at the Austin Tennis Academy for the past five years. This is a junior tennis training program in which players can develop their tennis skills while learning valuable life lessons. The goal of Austin Tennis Academy (ATA) is, “to develop citizens of significance and not only success.” I have learned from my tennis coaches and peers that being able to train in the program is a great gift and that we have a responsibility to give back to our local and world community. In order to give back, ATA has partnered with the Glimmer of Hope Foundation. Since its inception in 2000, the foundation has shown a light of awareness on exclusion and suffering and has helped more than one million people improve their quality of life. The foundation’s principles reflect the belief that justice, equality and dignity are everyone’s birthright and where you are born should not determine whether you live or die. Moreover, Glimmer of Hope has developed an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to Humanitarian Aid which involves Social Investors working with Social Entrepreneurs to create Social Profit. A Glimmer of Hope supports programs in these areas:

• Water and Sanitation
• Education
• Health Care
• Income Creation
• Micro-Finance
• Micro-Irrigation
• Veterinary Clinics

Starting in the year 2000, The Austin Tennis Academy pledged to raise 1 million dollars for the Glimmer of Hope Foundation and its efforts in Ethiopia. I am proud to be part of this endeavor. My tennis teammates and I participate in a yearly fundraising program called Playing for Glimmer. Through this campaign we can have great fun playing tennis while helping others. During the summer months, we solicit pledges for the number of matches or tennis games we will play from June through September. To raise awareness and publicize our campaign we wear and sell blue wrist bands which read, Play Tennis--Save Lives. This year we have committed to raising $150,000 to build 11 water wells, a health post, and a school in Ethiopia. Through previous fundraising campaigns we have already built 27 water wells in Ethiopia.

I have learned tremendous tennis playing skills through Austin Tennis Academy. Moreover, I hope to translate what I have learned into a scholarship to play college tennis. More notably, I have learned that success is not about the number of tennis matches I’ve won. It is about the impact I make on others and sharing the gifts I have received.