celebrating 25 years
In 1996, pro tennis player, Olympian and Wimbledon finalist, MaliVai Washington, founded the Foundation to introduce tennis to low-income, at-risk children at clinics and events. Soon he realized the need for additional programs to serve the youth living in the Urban Core of Jacksonville, in an area with the highest rates of poverty, crime, high school dropouts and teen parents in the county.
Under the leadership of our founding Executive Director, Terri Florio, today, we have grown to become a comprehensive afterschool and summer youth development program serving children from kindergarten through their high school graduation and beyond. Programs offered by the Foundation include academic assistance, life skills and enrichment activities, mentoring, mental health counseling, scholarships, tennis lessons and more.
In 2008, we opened our Youth Center, which now houses all elementary programs, after raising over $3.8 million. In 2020, the Foundation opened a Teen Center, Club 904, after raising over $5.5 million. This new center serves middle and high school students and fills a need in the community for programs specifically for teens.
Making An Impact
$1.4 million
in scholarships funds have been awarded to our students to be used for higher education.
20,000+
children reached through our tennis clinics, outreach, summer camps and afterschool programs.
100%
of youth who completed our program graduated from high school on time.
our timeline
Scroll through the timeline to see some of MWYF’s biggest accomplishments over the past 25 years!
