Charleston, SC Chosen As Top 10 Finalist In USTA “Best Tennis Town” Contest
July 15, 2010
Voting opens tomorrow for the 2010 “Best Tennis Town” title and Grand Prize of $100,000; Winners to be announced at the 2010 US Open
WHITE PLAINS, NY & CHARLESTON, SC – July 15, 2010 – The USTA announced today that ten finalists have been selected– from an initial group of 82 cities that submitted entries—in its “Best Tennis Town” competition. Charleston, SC, has been selected as a finalist. Beginning tomorrow, fans across the country can vote for the community that they feel best exemplifies tennis’ positive impact at the local level in terms of passion, excitement, and spirit.
The 2010 Best Tennis Town winner will be determined by a nationwide online vote at http://www.besttennistown.com/ beginning tomorrow at 12:01 p.m. ET and continuing until July 26, 2010 at 11:59 a.m. ET. The top three finalists will travel to New York City where the winner will be revealed during a ceremony at the 2010 US Open. The winner will take home the 2010 “Best Tennis Town” title, an accompanying trophy and $100,000 to be used for community-wide tennis programming or facility enhancements.
The search for America’s “Best Tennis Town” is the USTA’s second nationwide search to identify the local area—from small, rural towns to large, urban metro areas and everywhere in between—that best exhibits the qualities of a great tennis community. The winner of the inaugural competition in 2009 was Midland, Mich.
“For the second year in a row, the “Best Tennis Town” competition has inspired tennis players across the country to show off the enthusiasm of their communities,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “With more than 30 million players hitting the courts nationwide, this year’s competition will showcase even more communities as they follow the example set forth by last year’s winner—Midland, Mich.”
“This contest will increase national awareness of the Charleston tennis community and what the tri-county area has to offer, helping to grow the game in Dorchester, Berkley, and Charleston counties,” said Ken Edwards, President of the Lowcountry Tennis Association. “The next 10 days could have a major impact on our area for years to come.”
Tennis towns from all over the country submitted their entries for consideration on http://www.besttennistown.com/ between April 7 and June 28, 2010, and after carefully reviewing each submission, a panel of judges selected the following ten communities as the 2010 “Best Tennis Town”
Finalists: Charleston, SC Snow Hill, N.C. Clearwater, Fla. Atlanta, Ga. Delray Beach, Fla. Beaverton, Ore. Rome, Ga. Richmond, Va. Rosemount, Minn. Manchester Center, Vt.
Each of the ten finalist towns will be profiled on http://www.besttennistown.com/ beginning at Noon tomorrow, including each community’s video submission displaying their town’s spirit and passion for tennis, as well as the impact that tennis has had on an individual, an organization and/or the community as a whole.
The 2nd and 3rd prize winners will receive $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, to be used for community-wide tennis programming and/or facility enhancements. The seven communities receiving honorable mentions will each receive a $2,000 tennis equipment package.
For more information on The Best Tennis Town and to cast your vote, please visit http://www.besttennistown.com/ beginning Friday, July 16th at Noon.
The Family Circle Tennis Center
The Family Circle Tennis Center, home of the Family Circle Cup, is a public facility owned by the City of Charleston and operated by Meredith Corporation that hosts a variety of events including tennis events, concerts, festivals, and other special activities throughout the year. The Family Circle Cup is a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier Event, as well as the facility’s marquis event, bringing over 90,000 visitors to Daniel Island each year. With over 21 million readers, Family Circle is one of the most widely read monthly magazines in America and is one of 14 leading subscription magazines owned by Meredith Corporation. The Tennis Center features a 10,200 seat stadium, a Grand Lawn, 17 tennis courts lighted for night play, and a racquet club featuring a full service Pro Shop and locker room facilities. The Family Circle Tennis Center has a full service event management staff capable of handling all aspects of an event including ticketing, operations, sales, marketing, public relations, and food & beverage. For more information, call (843) 849-5300 or visit familycirclecup.com.
