Tennis Garden Charity Group Helps Local Groups With Cash

A record-breaking 49 local, non-profit groups are in the money after receiving checks from a group of Indian Wells Tennis Garden volunteers.

The checks were handed out during breakfast at the tennis garden.

The Champions Volunteer Foundation gave away nearly $144,000.

?Primarily, we’d use it to buy food, to feed our neighbors and friends and clients,? said Dana Johnson of Food Now. ?also, we just moved to a new location. So, the money would be used to pay for rent and administrative costs.?

?We have a lot of seniors who are alone,? said another recipient, Virginia Kepley of the Indio Senior Center. ?There’s no place for them to go. It’s a fun, friendly place. We have great exercise program, and it is huge.?

Since 2002, the volunteers have distributed more than $1,000,000 to Coachella Valley charities.