Olympian helps bring new volleyball court to a high school in Santa Cruz

A three-time Olympic Gold medalist helped unveil a new sand volleyball court in Santa Cruz Monday.

Kerri Walsh Jennings was at Harbor High School for the ceremony where she met with students on the volleyball team.

“It was amazing! It was everything,” said volleyball player Anai Mejia.

The court was donated to the school by the Good Tidings Foundation and with help from Kerri Walsh Jennings.

“It’s part of my heart. I have so many childhood memories from this area in particular,” said Kerri Walsh Jennings.

The Olympian grew up in Scotts Valley and said she is proud to be able to give this gift to the school.

“To be able to donate this court to the community that is so near and dear to my heart, to grow the sport and give back to these kids, it’s really a meaningful day to me.”

Walsh also helped with a court for North Salinas High School in 2012. This latest court is the 5 th Walsh has helped bring to a Central Coast school.

“She came to us about seven years ago with the idea of bringing the beach to kids and we try to build these every other year for a high school somewhere in Northern California,” said Larry Harbor, Founder of Good Tidings Foundation.

The partnership between the two is one that Harbor High School’s principal said she would like to see more of.

“We have something that we didn’t have before that gives them the chance to do something new,” said Harbor High Principal Tracey Runeare.

“To me the value is just the generosity and the role model that Kerri and the foundation have shown,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Cynthia Mathews.