TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama RISE Center will host women’s and mixed doubles tennis tournaments April 12 and 13, and the RISE Tournament of Champions April 18-19 to support fundraising efforts to help provide transformational opportunities to its students.
The women’s and mixed doubles tennis tournaments will take place at the PARA Tuscaloosa Tennis Center with the women’s doubles on April 12 and the mixed doubles on April 13. The cost per team is $150.
The RISE Tournament of Champions will be held April 18-19 at NorthRiver Yacht Club. The tournament is a four-person drop out scramble, handicaps required, with morning or afternoon tee times both days.
Registration for the golf tournament starts at $2,800 for a four-person team. Tournament prizes include televisions, paddle boards, travel golf bags, golf handwarmers, a Top Golf experience, and other Alabama-related memorabilia. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams with the best gross and net scores. Golfers will also receive a gift upon check-in and lunch will be provided.
“RISE is always looking for new ways to meet the needs of families in our community who would benefit from the therapy services we offer. The number of families seeking services continues to increase beyond our program’s current capacity,” said Andi Gillen, director of the UA RISE Center. “We believe it is our responsibility to expand the programs we offer.
“The funds raised will allow us to maintain our high-quality early intervention and preschool program and creatively seek ways to reach more families. We continue to see a higher need for speech and language services, and we hope our fundraising efforts this year will allow us to increase this service at RISE Center. We firmly believe that all children should have the opportunity to meet their maximum potential.”
The cost per child to attend RISE five days a week exceeds $20,000. While RISE receives funding from UA, an endowment and has contracts with local school systems, fundraisers like the golf and tennis tournaments are crucial to the school’s success.
There are six RISE programs across the country and RISE Tuscaloosa is the only program that does not charge tuition to families with children who have special needs. All children needing therapy services continue to attend RISE Center at no cost. Fundraising support has been instrumental in the program’s longevity and its ability to provide much needed early intervention services to children with special needs in the Tuscaloosa area.
UA’s Head Football Coach Kalen DeBoer, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Nate Oats, Athletics Director Greg Byrne, and more Crimson Tide celebrities will be on hand for the RISE Tournament of Champions to meet and greet participants.
For more information about the tournaments and to register, call RISE at 205-348-7931 or visit the UA RISE Center website.
The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state’s flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides an inclusive, forward-thinking environment and nearly 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus. A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. As the state’s largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.
Contact
Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, bryant.welbourne@ua.edu, 205-348-8325