Family Circle Cup Selects Courting Kids as Community Outreach Partner
March 26, 2012
Annual $50,000 Donation to Grow Via On-Site Fundraising Opportunities during Tournament
CHARLESTON, SC – March 22, 2012 – For the second consecutive year, the Family Circle Cup has selected
Courting Kids, the City of Charleston’s inner-city youth tennis program, as its official Community Outreach Partner, and donated $50,000 in financial and material support to this group. In addition, the Cup will implement several fundraising programs during the tournament to raise additional money for this important initiative. Marking the tournament’s 40th year, the Family Circle Cup will be held March 31 – April 8, 2012 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in the Best Tennis Town in America, Charleston, S.C.
The “Return and Serve” Ticket Program presented by Prudential will offer Box Seat holders and Terrace Level ticket patrons an opportunity to donate their extra tickets at the tournament’s Guest Services booth as a tax-deductable contribution. These tickets will be resold at the Guest Services booth as a ticket upgrade for fans, with all proceeds benefitting Courting Kids.
Courting Kids will be given a prime location at the main entrance during the Family Circle Cup where they will promote this important community program, recruit volunteers, and accept donations.
In addition, ACE Authentic, one of the most recognized and respected authorities on official tennis memorabilia in the world, will auction a wide variety of official Family Circle Cup match-used and autographed items, with 100% of Family Circle Cup auction proceeds benefitting Courting Kids. Visit www.ACEAuthentic.com to bid.
Also, fans are asked to donate tennis equipment at the tournament’s Will Call tent, located adjacent to the Ticket Kiosk, near the main gate. New or used racquets, racquet covers, tennis bags, as well as new cans of tennis balls, tennis attire, or any tennis accessory can be easily dropped off prior to entering the venue.
“Courting Kids provides wide-reaching opportunities for Charleston youth who are interested in learning the life-long sport of tennis, and we’re proud to support their efforts on a year-round basis, as well as during the Family Circle Cup,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager. “All of the proceeds generated from our fundraising activities during the tournament will further enable local children who have a desire to play tennis.”
“The Family Circle Cup’s support has helped us grow so much over the past two years, and we are thrilled to be able to expand our offerings to more children, said Delores Jackson, Courting Kids Founder and Program Coordinator. “Every dollar we raise during the tournament will directly assist a young child who has taken a liking to the sport of tennis.”
About Courting Kids
Delores Jackson, Courting Kids Program Coordinator, founded this City of Charleston Inner-city Youth Tennis Program in 1992 through a $12,000 grant obtained from the Paul Newman Foundation. Jackson has served on the SCTA Multicultural Committee for thirteen years, and the Courting Kids USTA/NJTL Charleston, SC Chapter has won the prestigious USTA/ NJTL Southern & National Chapter of the Year award. The program’s goal is to provide recreation and a competitive tennis experience for youth ages 5 -17.
About The Family Circle Cup
The Family Circle Tennis Center, home of the Family Circle Cup and World TeamTennis Finals Weekend, is a public facility owned by the City of Charleston and operated by Meredith Corporation that also hosts a variety of additional events including concerts, festivals, tennis tournaments and other activities throughout the year. The Tennis Center features a 10,200 seat stadium, Grand Lawn, 17 tennis courts lighted for night play, Pro Shop, and a full service event management staff capable of handling all aspects of an event including ticketing, operations, sales, marketing, public relations, and food & beverage. Charleston, South Carolina was named was named the “No. 1 tourist destination in America” in the 2011 Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards, and Charleston was also voted the “Best Tennis Town in America” in a 2010 USTA contest.
The Family Circle Cup is the largest women’s only tennis tournament in the world, and Family Circle is the longest running title sponsor of a sporting event in the United States, as well as in all of professional tennis, world-wide. 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, which speaks to 80 million women nationwide. The Family Circle Cup receives four days of live broadcast domestically on ESPN2, and is viewed internationally in over 25 countries, featuring over 200 hours of live and delayed global broadcast time, reaching 8.54 million viewers worldwide.
