Greater Newark Tennis and Education 3rd annual ‘Rally for Tennis’ fundraiser event

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The U.S. Open tennis championship kicked off on Monday with qualifying rounds. But News 12 found some stars of tomorrow. Greater Newark Tennis and Education held its third annual “Rally for Tennis” at Centercourt Athletic Club in Chatham. The free summer program is for kids aged 7 to 18. At the end of the program, they hold a fundraiser with tennis clinics, music, games and food. The event was put together by a group of students from Newark Academy. The event raised $62,000 for kids and their families to get involved in tennis. “The main people like Coco Gauff and Serena Williams, they do really good in it and it just inspired me so much that I wanted to play too,” says Tiara Lindquist. “I love tennis and I come here to practice more,” says Carlos Gutierrez. This is the third year of the fundraiser. This year’s summer program is coming to an end, but they hold events all year round. “We can encompass all ages and ability levels so we can allow all ages to participate,” says tennis director Bob Bynum. Organizers say this year they had more than 300 kids signed up. they’re even taking a group of kids to the U.S. Open. Greater Newark Tennis and Education is based at the Althea Gibson Tennis Courts in Branch Brook Park. "