Sunny skies welcomed more than 150 players to the Mark Garwood Foundation’s 5th Annual Racquets for Recovery Tennis and Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, February 1. The event at North River Shores Tennis Club in Stuart, Fla., raised funds for the Foundation’s Mark Garwood Phoenix Scholarship program. The program provides scholarships to adults in South Florida who are in recovery, committed to long-term sobriety, and ready to begin or continue their education.
Players competed in men’s and women’s doubles for both tennis and pickleball, and enjoyed lunch and an awards ceremony afterward. The tennis tournament was presented by Hanley Foundation and Seacoast Bank, and the pickleball tournament was presented by Ted Glasrud Associates.
Kate Ryan Watkins, a Mark Garwood Phoenix Scholarship recipient, spoke during the event. Through the Foundation’s support and encouragement, she earned her master’s degree and fulfilled her dream of becoming a therapist, helping others in recovery. Kate was joined by 20 fellow scholarship recipients who volunteered to help at the event, ensuring this year’s Racquets for Recovery was another success.
Since 2015, the Mark Garwood Foundation has awarded more than $560,000 in scholarships to 76 adults in Florida. The Foundation has supported 28 alums who have earned 38 degrees, including two doctorates.
