Nikhil, a junior at Ardrey Kell High School, directs his own non-profit, Aces 4 Charity, which organizes yearly tennis tournaments to benefit local charitable institutions. This year, Nikhil will donate the tournament’s proceeds to Levine Children’s Hospital. Below, he shares with us, in his own words, what motivated him to get involved in philanthropy. This year’s event will take place on October 7, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The entry fee is $50. For more information or to register, go to www.Aces4Charity.com.
During my freshman year at Ardrey Kell, I came up with the idea of combining two of my loves: tennis and giving back to the community.
Ever since I can remember, my family has donated its time and money to children-related charities, nurturing in me a love of helping others – and an understanding of just how fortunate I am. I know I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to play tennis, for example, having competed in various tournaments in middle school and now on the varsity team at Ardrey Kell.
At first, I couldn’t figure out exactly how to combine tennis with philanthropy. Then, during the summer before my sophomore year, it came to me: I could organize a tennis tournament – similar to the ones I competed in – except the proceeds would go to charities.
In October 2016, during my sophomore year, I organized my first tournament, which raised $3,700 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The event was a hit; everyone wanted to give back to the community again. So, I decided to do another one in 2017.
This year, the tournament proceeds will benefit Levine Children’s Hospital. I hope to one day become a physician, so this is the first of hopefully many contributions I’ll make to medicine and my community.
To the patients at Levine Children’s Hospital: know that the Charlotte tennis community is coming together to stand by you. You are not alone.