Leon County’s Karen Vogter was named the USTA Florida Tennis Volunteer of the Month

2023 is here and what better way to bring in the new year than to level up your tennis game. We all share a love and passion for sports, but why not take it to the next level and give back to the community.

Outstanding volunteers are recognized in many ways by volunteering for tennis in Florida. The “Volunteer of the Month” award is one-way among peers in their community, who can recognize people who do good work for tennis. Know someone making a difference in tennis in Florida? You can nominate someone as Volunteer of the Month at any time.

For January Volunteer of the Month Karen Vogter, tennis has been a part of her life since she was a child, and as she got older, she wanted to give back to the sport that shaped her into who she is today.

USTA Florida congratulates Karen Vogter for being named Volunteer of the Month.

Born in Tampa, Florida, Karen is a volunteer tournament director Tallahassee Tennis Challenger (TTC), which is a professional tennis tournament played on a green clay court. This tournament is part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger Tour and is held annually at Forestmeadows Tennis Complex.

He has been doing this since 2004 and for a good cause. Her husband Mark, who died in 1998, was a neurosurgeon at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and improved many lives. Now he likes his legacy lives on helping out at the TTC.

All funds raised through the TTC are donated to help patients in need of neurological care at the D. Mark Vogter, MD Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. More than $1.1 million has been donated to the Vogter Endowment through this event.

The TTC has also raised more than $50,000 for the City of Tallahassee’s parks, recreation and neighborhood causes and helped bring tennis to more than 8,500 children. Karen wants to make sure everyone can live a healthy life and benefit from sport.

It allows me to raise funds for causes that I support and believe in, he said. It allows me to give back to my community and allows me to introduce kids to the game I love so much. Honestly, I have no idea what my life would have been without tennis.

When she is not playing tennis, Karen loves to travel the world, spend time with her friends, and visit her children and grandchildren. One of her favorite tennis memories is traveling to the USTA National Campus to cheer on a friend who played and won 4.5 national championships.

USTA Florida commends Karen for her dedication to the sport both on and off the court. It’s amazing to see someone make a lasting impact in the community and help change the lives of so many.

Are you interested in volunteering in tennis? Visit www.USTAFlorida.com/Volunteers to learn more about the opportunities available.