Over the holiday break, the Wilton High School girls varsity tennis team coach Rod-Djaly Thoby and co-captains Vivian Eckert and Lily Abud organized a gift drive to support First Serve Bridgeport, a non-profit organization that provides tennis programming and academic support to underserved youth in the Bridgeport community.
Organizers of the gift drive hoped to provide each of the 33 kids enrolled in the program with tennis-related items as well as non-tennis gifts. The Wilton students collected over 100 gifts as part of the effort.
The collection was a collaborative effort with other people joining the girls varsity tennis team, including members of the Wilton High School boys tennis and girls lacrosse teams; the Ridgefield High School girls and boys tennis teams (collected by coaches Mike Truong and Jamie Coconis); and members of the Four Seasons Racquet Club.
The idea for the gift drive came about as a way for the tennis team to give back to the community and make a positive impact during the holiday season. “We wanted to do something meaningful and impactful, and First Serve Bridgeport, a program where I volunteer, does incredible work for their community and has an amazing group of kids that are part of the program,” Eckert said.
According to team members, the gift drive is just one example of the commitment to service and community involvement demonstrated by Wilton High School athletes, making a difference in the lives of young people in their community and hoping to set a positive example for others to follow.
Eckert added that the WHS girls tennis team plans to hold similar drives in the future. “We hope to continue this as a tradition for years to come and make an even bigger impact in our community and surrounding communities.”