The Grand Harbor Clubhouse looked a lot like a speakeasy during Gin & Jazz, a 1920s-inspired evening event to benefit the Sally Wilkey Foundation, but despite the décor, no G-Men burst in to raid the place.
Proceeds from the evening will help fund the free, eight-week summer tennis program at the Vero Beach Tennis and Fitness Club, which the nonprofit offers to underserved youth.
Their goal is to enrich their lives through tennis instruction, academic support and life skills development.
Women in flapper dresses and men in pinstripes and fedoras worked up an appetite in the betting parlor, hoping that Lady Luck would be on their side as only one high roller would take home all the loot that night. And there was no graft during the live auction, which included a tempting dining experience, art, travel and even a Wimbledon championship experience package.
The foundation was created after the overwhelming outpouring of love for Sally Wilkey, who lost her battle with brain cancer at the tender age of 29. Sally had been a USTA junior and collegiate tennis player, so the tennis program developed organically.
“People wanted to do something to honor Sally, so I started the foundation,” explained Jane Wilkey, SWF board president and Sally’s mother.
“I kept thinking it was going to exhaust itself, but we’re going into our second year of summer camp, and this year, we’re doing eight weeks. We’ve even been able to employ some of our students and parents.”
She said they have also taken the program one step further than tennis, by providing counseling and imparting employable skills.
Gregory Simpson spoke on the impact programs like the SWF tennis camp can have on a child’s life. Having grown up in Fort Pierce with limited means, he benefited from community support and mentorships, and said the help he received was integral to his success.
Today, Simpson is an accountant and a professor at Indian River State College, and his child attends the SWF tennis program.
“Supporting programs like these gives kids a chance to achieve something better than the way that they’re growing up. And having the opportunity to play a sport like this opens up so many doors for them,” said Wilkey, stressing that the educational component of their program is crucial.
The organization hosts a free Saturday Clinic throughout the school year for students from local advocacy organizations and homeless shelters, where the children receive tutoring and homework help, are given lunch and, most importantly, play tennis.
For more information, visit sallywilkeyfoundation.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
