Andy Roddick founded The Andy Roddick Foundation (ARF) in 2000, at the age of 17. It’s since raised over $20 million dollars and helped tens of thousands of Austin kids. We had a chat with him at the ARF Casino Night that doubled as grand opening of BOA Steakhouse.
What was the initial inspiration behind starting ARF?
When your heroes are doing cool stuff, when your idol is Agassi and you see that he's transformed an entire side of Vegas, and you meet Billy Jean King and see what she's done…I wanted to see how to affect Austin in the most positive way and after school summer programming was a need we felt that we could service. Now we serve 40,000 kids a day in Austin. It's grown from our first event which was a tennis clinic in a parking lot that raised a couple thousand bucks.
What are you most proud of 24 years later? I think consistency. It’s continuity, delivering high-quality programs and being transparent about what percentage of our funds go where and how we deliver it.
What would you like to accomplish in the next 24 years?
To build. We started with Pecan Springs and then it was East Austin, then central Austin, central Texas, so kind of making it bigger. As Austin grows, the cost of living grows and the people we serve tends to get a little bit more from the center of town, so just helping families deal with those things. And eye on the prize, we have to deliver quality programs.
In your own 41 years you've accomplished a lot, what are you looking forward to personally for the next 41 years?
My kids are eight and six, it would be fun to see them grow into quality humans. I think that dictates most days. You can help tens of thousands of kids, but I can't make my kids sit still for dinner.
Austin Angels
Austin Angels is a nonprofit that supports foster children, youth, and families in the foster care community with intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship. A few ways they do this is through their ‘Dare to Dream’ mentorship program, their Love Box program, which provides emotional and financial support to both foster children/youth and their foster families as well as annual events. They’re currently in need of Love Box volunteers, specifically in Williamson County. They’re also gearing up for their annual Food Fight for Youth in Foster Care November 14, where Austin’s finest chefs, caterers, food trucks, distillers, brewers, and restaurants compete in a culinary competition. The event included unlimited drinks and bites, exciting games and live music from The Spazmatics. Find out more about the Love Box program and Food Fight at www.austinangels.com
The Kindness Campaign
It will be ten years in 2025 since Andra Liemandt founded The Kindness Campaign (TKC), a nonprofit focused on teaching social-emotional learning skills to kids in fun, engaging ways, and she’s not slowing down. Earlier this year guests of TKC’s Art of Kindness Gala received preview paperback copies of Andra’s first children’s book TK, the origin story of their mascot Enoughie Buddy, in their gift bags. The book is due out in hardcover in time for the holidays and with the proceeds going back to TKC, it’s a gift that inspirational, uplifting, entertaining and does good just by purchasing. The book, Enoughie Buddies and more can be found on their website at https://www.tkckindness.org/
Center for Child Protection
People are often familiar with CCP’s fun fundraisers like Dancing with the Stars Austin, golf and bingo events, but not as many are educated on where the money raised is spent. Every day, the Center serves approximately 3-5 new children who have either been physically abused, sexually abused or witnessed a violent crime. They arrive at the Center, get treatment if needed, (Dell Children’s Medical Center CARE Team operates an on-site clinic to treat children), share their story with a professional in a forensics interview and are supported on a path to justice and healing. Learn more at https://centerforchildprotection.org
The Very ‘Rary at The Contemporary Austin
The Contemporary Austin believes art has the capacity to change lives and should be accessible to everybody. The Very ‘Rary event, that will take place November 3, brings families from all over Austin together for an afternoon of art and amazement, while garnering support for The Contemporary Austin’s award-winning arts education programs. The event attracts more than 1,000 kids and their families to the enchanting, lakeside grounds of Laguna Gloria for artful adventures, spellbinding performances and activities. The money raised goes towards free family events, workshops for teachers, Art School scholarships and more. These programs serve thousands of visitors each year, fostering social and emotional learning and cultivating the earliest seeds of a lifelong love of the arts.