ThanksUSA Military Families Score Support From Sports Apparel Giant Athletic DNA

MCLEAN, Va., March 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ThanksUSA today announced a new partnership with sports apparel company Athletic DNA in support of America's military families.  The company will provide clothing to United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) pros participating in ThanksUSA's annual Tennis Thanks the Troops campaign, a key fundraising component of the charity's mission to provide scholarships to the children and spouses of U.S. servicemen and women.

In addition, Athletic DNA will donate a percentage of sales during designated military holidays to ThanksUSA, and ThanksUSA staff will be outfitted in Athletic DNA's gear at USPTA events and conferences.

"Athletic DNA's high-performance apparel is a perfect fit for participants in our Tennis Thanks the Troops events, and the company's support of ThanksUSA demonstrates an extraordinary contribution to our nation's military families," said ThanksUSA CEO and Chairman Bob Okun. "This commitment challenges all tennis enthusiasts to take the opportunity to thank our men and women in uniform by helping provide their families with the gift of education."

Athletic DNA was established in 2007 by top collegiate and professional athletes: former University of Illinois tennis player Mike Calkins, former ATP Top 500 Pro Dan Willman, and Karl Wiersholm, father of nationally ranked junior tennis player Henrik Wiersholm. The apparel company sponsors several professionals on the tennis circuits, including two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt and U.S. Open Singles Girls' champion Grace Min.  Athletic DNA works with hundreds of junior athletes across the country to motivate them and support them to become the best athlete possible.

"The hard work, perseverance and passion needed to win on the court are the same characteristics demonstrated by our military families," said Athletic DNA's VP of Marketing, Ben Hurtuk. "Through our partnership with ThanksUSA we are celebrating our armed forces' dedication to protecting our nation by supporting their families in achieving their educational goals."

Tennis Thanks the Troops is a partnership between ThanksUSA and the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA). For the last three years, participants have organized special tournaments, donation programs and other events in support of ThanksUSA's need-based post-secondary scholarships to college, technical or vocational school for military spouses and children. Athletic DNA joins other nationally and internationally recognized tennis notables in supporting Tennis Thanks the Troops, including tournament and Olympic champions Mike and Bob Bryan and Lisa Raymond; professional tennis coach Nick Bollettieri; USPTA CEO John Embree; and former tennis player and America's first female four-star General Ann Dunwoody.

To date, ThanksUSA has awarded nearly 3,400 scholarships totaling more than $10 million to the children and spouses of active-duty personnel across all the Armed Forces, the National Guard and Reserves, as well as families of the fallen and wounded.

About ThanksUSA
ThanksUSA is a non-partisan, charitable effort to mobilize Americans of all ages to "thank" the men and women of the United States armed forces. The organization provides college, technical and vocational school scholarships to the children and spouses of military personnel. For more information, visit www.thanksusa.org.

About the Athletic DNA
Athletic DNA is a sports apparel company founded by top collegiate and professional athletes. The brand started in 2007 when the three founders decided to show the hard work and toughness needed to succeed in the game of tennis. For more information, visit www.athleticdna.com.

CONTACT:
Michele Stork
(703) 855-4108
[email protected]

SOURCE ThanksUSA

Related Links

http://www.thanksusa.org