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Community Organizations Nationwide Come Together to Advance Shared Goal of 800,000 Service Hours by the End of 2026

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 15, 2026 – The USTA Foundation and Realize the Dream today announced they are joining forces for a major nationwide service activation to commemorate Juneteenth. This effort will see the launch of over 100 volunteer opportunities through the USTA Foundation’s National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network, directly engaging communities across the country and driving progress toward the Foundation’s goal of achieving 800,000 service hours by the end of 2026.

The ‘Realize the Dream’ initiative, led by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Yolanda Renee King, promotes positive change through community service and volunteerism, with an ambitious goal of achieving 100 million hours of service by Dr. King’s 100th birthday in 2029.

Throughout June, nearly 100 organizations that are part of the USTA Foundation’s NJTL network will host a wide variety of community-focused volunteer events to help reach that goal–including service projects, park clean-ups, mentorship opportunities, Juneteenth celebrations, and more. Throughout the month, more than 3,000 volunteers are expected to contribute approximately 37,000 hours toward the total service-hour goal.

The NJTL network, co-founded in 1969 by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell, and Sheridan Snyder, today includes more than 270 community organizations nationwide that help prepare young people from under-resourced communities to succeed in life through tennis, education and mentorship, scholarships, and college and career-readiness programs. Last year, these organizations served more than 233,000 young people across the United States.

The USTA Foundation’s collaboration with Realize the Dream underscores the commitment to service embodied by Dr. King and Arthur Ashe, reinforcing their shared belief that progress is fundamentally built through opportunity and community engagement.

The USTA Foundation also recognizes the historic connection between the two leaders: Dr. King expressed his respect for Ashe in a thoughtful note sent weeks before Dr. King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. That letter is currently on display at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“My father believed that the time is always right to do what is right. This Juneteenth, we are called to act on that belief. Every hour of service, every young person lifted, every community strengthened brings us closer to the dream he devoted his life to. We cannot let that dream slip away. We must carry it forward, together, right now,” said Martin Luther King III.

“We are all heirs to this legacy, and that means we all have a role to play. Service is not a gesture. It is how we become the coalition of conscience that Dr. King called us to be. When we show up for our communities, we show up for each other. That is how the dream moves from words into the world,” added Arndrea Waters King.

“Strong communities are built on a spirit of service that unites people, drives meaningful change, and reminds us that each of us has a responsibility to leave our communities better than we found them,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “It is especially important to engage young people in these efforts, because service helps build leadership skills, compassion, and a lifelong sense of civic duty that will strengthen our communities for generations to come.”

For more information or to find a volunteer service opportunity in your community, please visit ustafoundation.com/realizethedream.