CENTRAL FALLS, RI – On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (Neighborhood) President & CEO Peter Marino, Central Falls leaders and community members, and tennis industry leaders celebrated the official opening of Central Falls’ two new tennis courts.
“I’ve loved seeing so many of our youth engaged and excited about our free tennis programming we’ve offered for years, but not having a real court to play on has held our families back from the full sport experience,” said Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera. “We’ve made such progress in Central Falls lately around new and renovated recreational spaces, and I’m proud to finally add tennis courts to that list! I’m grateful to our funders who helped make these new courts, and free youth programming, possible. I like to think the next Coco, Serena, or Venus might be from our One Square Mile!”
The new courts were made possible through funding by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Neighborhood, the U.S. Tennis Association of New England, the U.S. Tennis Association of Rhode Island, and ARPA dollars allocated by the city.
“These new courts will make tennis more accessible to all and add to the diversity of recreation amenities for the people of Central Falls,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed. “To borrow a tennis term, I hope these new courts are a smashing success for the whole community. Advantage, Central Falls.”
“DEM is thrilled to see the Sacred Heart tennis courts project become reality, helped made possible through DEM’s Outdoor Recreation Grant program supported by voter-approved Green Bond funding,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “Recreational assets help anchor communities, provide important opportunities for residents to get outdoor, and improve mental well-being, public health, and quality of life. Mayor Riviera and her team have done an outstanding job developing and improving recreation sites across the city. Their leadership in this area has been awesome!”
“Investing in the health and well-being of a community is at the heart of Neighborhood’s mission to serve Rhode Islanders,” said Peter Marino, President & CEO, Neighborhood. “It is so energizing to see our kids jump into a life-long sport. We enjoyed working with the Mayor’s Office and the United States Tennis Association to build these tennis courts, and I hope they bring many happy hours to countless families in the years to come.”
About Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island:
Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (Neighborhood) is a not-for-profit health maintenance organization (HMO) founded in December 1993 in partnership with Rhode Island’s Community Health Centers and the state to ensure everyone in Rhode Island has access to high quality, cost-effective health care. Neighborhood serves over 220,000 members in the state with 82 percent of its membership Medicaid eligible through its ACCESS and TRUST plans and 6 percent of its membership utilizing Neighborhood’s INTEGRITY Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP). More than 12 percent of Neighborhood’s members represents individuals, families and small businesses who select one of 15 Neighborhood commercial plans available through the health exchange, HealthSource RI. Of these members, about 85 percent qualify for federal subsidies to cover a portion of their costs. Today, Neighborhood—with nearly 650 employees and $1.8 billion in revenue—serves one out of every five Rhode Islanders. Learn more at nhpri.org.
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