Dear ATA Players, Parents and Patrons,

We can’t do everything, but we can do something.

One of our goals is to produce citizens of significance, not just accomplishment. Being a good citizen means being a good neighbor.  We talk to our students about this all the time and it’s important that we demonstrate character as well as talk about it.

The news from Hurricane Harvey’s impact continues to be hard to fathom. The death toll is going up. The number of people displaced is climbing by 10s of thousands. I know that many of you have family and friends in the area who are suffering, and all of you have some sort of personal connection to this disaster.

As a community, we do our best to respond in ways that contribute positively to our neighbors who are suffering, mourning and vulnerable.

To start, ATA has pledged to match the first $5,000 raised by the community through our partnership with the American Red Cross. If you feel compelled to contribute financially to disaster relief efforts, please follow this link to the ATA campaign page:

https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/austintennis-emp

Secondly, ATA College Prep students are gathering supplies to create welcome kits for displaced families seeking shelter in Austin through the Austin Disaster Relief Network. If you’d like to donate supplies to help with these welcome kits, these are the specific items needed for each kit:

Towel
Washcloth
Soap
Tissue
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Feminine Products
Shampoo
Comb
Blanket
Pillow
Wipes
Baby Bottles/Formula
Diapers
Baby Food
1 plastic container with a lid to hold the above items

Any donations for welcome kits should be dropped off at ATA College Prep before Wednesday the 6th. Feel free to contact Tommy Collins with questions.

Lastly, ATA’s Jackie Zapien is organizing donations to help animals that are ending up in shelters or homeless as a result of Hurricane Harvey. This Sunday, she will be driving a load of supplies to the Houston area to help relief efforts focused on animals. If you are able to donate any dog food, cat food, treats, toys, litter, leashes, blankets, or pet bedding, please drop it off at ATA before this Sunday and she will make sure it is put to good use.

Together as a community, we hope to make a small positive impact on what has become the largest natural disaster this country has ever seen. Thank you all for participating.