What Happens to a Tennis Ball After the Last Bounce? At Furman, It Finds a New Best Friend

What do you do with a tennis ball when it loses its bounce? If you’re Furman Tennis, you turn it into a tail-wagging gift and a small act of sustainability that really adds up.

It all started in 2018 with Danni Vines ’20, then a member of both the Furman women’s tennis team and the Shi Institute’s Greenbelt Community. Greenbelt students take on real campus sustainability challenges and design practical solutions. Seeing the hundreds of tennis balls retired each season, Vines spotted an opportunity to reduce waste and to support her local community. She partnered with the Greenville Humane Society so adopted pups could head home with a gently used ball. The result: a simple, joyful solution that has kept countless balls in play and out of the landfill.

Partnerships are at the heart of the Shi Institute’s work. Acting as a bridge between campus and community, the Shi Institute helped keep the initiative rolling. Alongside women’s tennis head coach Michelle Dasso, the Institute coordinated ongoing donations semester after semester, ensuring that what started as a student idea became a sustained, community-serving program.

Since 2018, Furman Tennis has donated hundreds, if not thousands, of tennis balls to the Greenville Humane Society. With so much bounce to share, the Shi Institute expanded the partnership to include Greenville Animal Care, adding them to the regular donation rotation. Now, even more four-legged friends leave their shelters with a new toy ready for play and bonding, setting their new families up for success.

Most recently, members of the women’s tennis team and the newly formed Pre-Vet Club teamed up with the Shi Institute to deliver the latest batches to both organizations. Big thanks to:

• Danni Vines ’20 for launching the idea through the Greenbelt Community at the Shi Institute
• Coach Michelle Dasso and the Furman women’s tennis team for ongoing collection and coordination
• Greenville Humane Society and Greenville Animal Care for welcoming and distributing the donations
• The Pre-Vet Club and Women’s Tennis Team for pitching in on recent deliveries

Sustainability doesn’t just live at the Shi Institute – it’s everywhere on Furman’s campus. Have a story of everyday sustainability you want to share? Submit your story and you just may be featured here.

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