Andy Roddick Foundation Gala back on Nov. 9

The Andy Roddick Foundation focuses on three key pillars, that's create, equip, and impact to provide meaningful opportunities for children and families when school's out. I spoke with the foundation's founder, Andy Roddick, about its mission and how you can help support its work. The Andy Roddick Foundation's annual gala is coming up next month. It's such an awesome foundation, what you guys do for kids when school's out. So for those who don't know, can you tell us just a little bit more about what you guys do? Yeah, we do a lot. We serve tens of thousands of kids in the Central Texas area every day out of school time and summer programming. Those touch points where we can ease the responsibilities of the family, make sure that the kids are safe, protected, that we're adding value, and also making sure that the parents don't have to leave work at 2 to save kids from risky behaviors after school. So it started very small and it's kind of grown, and we run three of our own direct service programs through various school partners in town and run a network, learn all the time network of 40 plus service providers across the city. How does the gala help you guys do what you do? I know it's November 9th, it's coming up. Tell us about how that gala impacts the foundation and what people can expect at the event. Yeah, it's weird to think that we've been doing this gala here for 20 plus years. And luckily, we've had amazingly talented artists from everyone from Elton John to Big Boy and Wyclef. So it's certainly run the gamut of acts. But simply, we need to fund the programs. I don't know that we can rely on. On state and federal dollars at any given time. So we certainly have to rely on the goodwill of people and our strategy is basically let's show you a good time while we're asking you to help out the kids in Austin. What's your dream? What's the end goal for the foundation? When would you be happy kind of closing the chapter of the Andy Roddick Foundation? What does that mean for kids and Basically, how your foundation is leaving them. Yeah, I don't know that there is an end chapter because I don't know what we're basically asking is, is there ever going to be a time where a section of kids in Austin don't need help? I don't know that that's the case. So I don't know that it's like a business or a sports career where the end will come Come at some point, Simply speaking, you can be as strategic as you want, but everything is always changing as the city grows, the heartbeat of where you want to affect changes. So I'm proud of our team. We've been able to kind of roll with the punches, but I don't know that there is an end chapter. I think we just want to help, simply help as many kids as possible for as long as we can. Yeah, thank you for all you're doing for Central Texas. Where can people go find out more about the gala and buy tickets? Yeah, arfoundation.org, November 9th at ACL. You can get on the ACL site or on our website at arfoundation.org. And also thank you for covering this. It makes a massive difference when we can reach people where they're at. So big thank you to you too as well. Yeah, thank you so much. Everyone could get behind this. It's incredible what you guys are doing. Thank you, Andy. We appreciate it. Thank you.