http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/sports/ct-sta-tony-baranek-column-st-0721-20170720-story.html
The event ended with a check for $10,000 being donated by Chase Bank to the ACE Project. The United States Tennis Association Foundation donated $6,000 toward running the event.
The money will go toward year-round tennis instruction and other educational programming for kids at the three elementary schools in District 148 enrolled in the ACE curriculum.
The schools are Lincoln and Roosevelt in Dolton and Washington in Riverdale.
ACE is a non-profit organization that offers after school programs and summer school programs at the three schools in District 148, and at three others in Baltimore.
Susan Klumpner, the executive director and co-founder of ACE, was a social worker at Washington School for three years before moving in 2014 to Baltimore. She returned to Riverdale to help direct the July 14 event.
She had a smile that day that rivaled Parrott's.
"It's incredible how all of the vendors, all of the partners, all of the sponsors came out," Klumpner said. "We are given a certain amount of money to throw this event, but the Riverdale Park District stepped up to help us out as well.
"And these kids are an inspiration. Dolton and Riverdale kids are among the most resilient I've ever met. They're energetic and show such positive energy despite living in a stressful environment."
Klumpner started the ACE Project in District 148 in 2012 after funding for another after-school program at Washington had dried up.
"I couldn't believe that kids were being sent home at 2:30 and 3 o'clock," she said. "A few teachers and myself started staying after school. I knew how to play tennis, so I got a $500 grant from the USTA and hung out with the kids."
Klumpner's impact was a lasting one. If there was a Most Popular Adult award given at Return The Serve Fun Day, she likely would have been the winner. She was well remembered.
