In September, Hall of Famer Jeanette Lee aka “The Black Widow” and her nonprofit Black Widow Foundation(BWF) reached out to the billiard community to offer support for the nine young players who represented the U.S. at the upcoming WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships November 15-19 in Shanghai, China.
Lee’s ability to bring the industry together for a greater cause is commendable. After speaking with each individual of the North American team, Lee and her foundation, through personal fundraising and the support of the APA, Poison Cues, Ozone Billiards, and Mike Connolly, awarded $4,500 to those who still needed it. In addition to the financial support, Lee also shared valuable knowledge and experiences from her travels abroad.
Lee has turned her fundraising efforts into a year round campaign and adds,” any monies that come in for the world event [now] will go to next year's kids.” She is also creating a step-by-step fundraising kit for any junior player that needs financial backing in the future. Lee explains, “They will get the tools to raise money for themselves for any event they choose, whether it's to travel to the junior nationals or to come to BWF's summer camp.”
Look for Lee at the Super Billiards Expo in Oaks, PA April 16-19 where she’ll be continuing her fundraising drive at her Black Widow Foundation booth. Any juniors and family members interested in volunteering their time to support her efforts during this event may contact her directly through her website, www.blackwidowfoundation.org.
The inaugural BWF summer camp is scheduled for July of 2015. Learn more about it at www.blackwidowfoundation.org/black-widow-junior-camp/.
The Black Widow Foundation and its founder are committed to improving the sport of pocket billiards by encouraging, supporting, and mentoring our junior players – the future of our sport. The Foundation also organizes and hosts the unique Black Widow Juniors Camp each year to cultivate aspiring young players, not only in areas of the sport but also in their lives.
The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area.
