Gloria Bible
With a gala event to attend, Donna Yuritic knew she was in for a special day, starting with her 4 a.m. ride to the airport. Little did she know just how special that day would be.
Yuritic, retired professional tennis player and currently the teaching pro at Quail Creek’s Tennis Club, was on her way to attend the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP) annual Spring Gala, along with her long-time tennis doubles partner, Dr. Kim Williams. The May 12 formal event was a fundraiser for HJTEP, a not-for-profit organization serving high-risk, low-income boys and girls from Harlem, N.Y., and surrounding neighborhoods.
Guests entering the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan were met with soft green and purple lighting that transformed the venue. Beautifully decorated tables surrounded a full-size tennis court where young players participating in the program demonstrated their skills while the adults enjoyed socializing with pre-dinner cocktails. Yuritic and Williams received the biggest surprise of the night as they located their Table One seating and discovered one of their tablemates was tennis legend Billie Jean King!
Patrick McEnroe, slightly less famous than his brother John, hosted the event celebrating community, education, and perseverance. Several notable celebrities were in attendance, among them television correspondents Al Roker and his wife Deborah Roberts, Tennis Hall of Famers Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, and Katrina Adams, a player nationally ranked for 12 years and winner of 20 doubles titles.
A highlight of the evening was Billie Jean King’s presentation of the Shining Star Award to Chris Evert, recalling Evert’s illustrious career and lifetime commitment to empowering the next generation of tennis players.
A second highlight was the gala’s final event: a silent auction. Among the prizes were luxury resort getaways, European trips, and an estimated 20 tennis rackets owned and signed by Chris Evert. Dr. Williams was one of the lucky bidders, winning a weekend in the Hamptons. The auction raised nearly $1.2 million to benefit HJTEP’s programs.
These programs focus on development of the whole child—in sports, school, and life. Self-esteem, educational achievement, sportsmanship, and social competence are emphasized, as well as healthy lifestyle habits. Most of the roughly 800 student-athlete population are students of color, ranging in age from 5 to 18.
Yuritic and Williams strongly believe in mentorship and have positively impacted numerous young athletes; thus, the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program holds a special significance for both of them. Interestingly, Williams was the first to introduce Katrina Adams to a tennis racket and mentored her for two years before Yuritic took over when Adams was nine years old.
Yuritic recalls Adams’ father often telling her that we are all spokes in a wheel; our influence affects others in ways we can’t anticipate. As mentioned earlier, Mr. Adams’ daughter Katrina would excel in her professional tennis career and eventually became the youngest U.S. Tennis Association President ever elected. A global speaker and commentator, Adams currently serves on several private sector boards. Of special note, Adams is now Executive Director/President of HJTEP, the beneficiary of this gala event, a beautiful demonstration of her father, Mr. Adams’, “spokes in a wheel.”
For more information about the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program, please visit their website at hjtep.org/about-us.