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Pete Sampras was inducted
into the Tennis Hall of Fame
today in Newport RI.
(Sunday, July 15 - click for the story)
ENGLEWOOD,
N.J., May 10 /PRNewswire/ --
Pete Sampras, former World
No. 1 player, will make his highly anticipated debut in The
Kennedy Funding Invitational for 2007, one of the most
prestigious tennis events of the year. The Kennedy Funding
Invitational, presented by Cole Schotz, Meisel, Forman and
Leonard, PA is a benefit tournament for two area hospital
breast care centers. Co-Directors James Miller, Mitch Klein,
and Kevin Wolfer have put together one of the finest
competitions in the U.S. For 2007, the players who will be
competing in The Beer Family Men's Tournament include:
returning 2006 Champion Paul Goldstein from Rockville,
Maryland; Justin Gimelstob from Morristown, NJ, plus Robby
Ginepri, Robert Kendrick, Amir Delic and many other players
from around the world who are ranked in the ATP top 100. New
for 2007 will be The Kaplen Family Women's Tournament,
featuring eight of the top professional players in the world
including Meghann Shaughnessy, Ashley Harkleroad and others.
As a special added bonus for 2007, The Kennedy Funding
Invitational will feature an appearance by the legendary
former World No. 1-ranked Pete Sampras, playing in an
eagerly awaited exhibition match. During his 15 year career,
he won a record 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles in 52
appearances and finished the year as No. 1 on the ATP
rankings for six consecutive years, a record for the open
era and tying him for third all-time. Sampras won the
singles title at Wimbledon seven times, an all-time record
shared with William Renshaw. He also won five singles titles
at the U.S. Open, an open era record shared with Jimmy
Connors.
The setting will once again be the prestigious Dellwood
Country Club in New City, NY, with its 12 Har Tru tennis
courts, 18-hole Tillinghast-designed golf course, sumptuous
banquet facilities, and more. Players will be competing for
over $250,000 in prize money during a week-long event
inspired by the passing of a beloved friend and valued
member of the community in 2006.
Leslie Simon lost her battle with breast cancer earlier last
year. Says Kevin Wolfer, "Leslie was a beautiful wife,
mother, daughter, sister, and a dear friend to everyone who
knew her. Thanks to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center's
Breast Care Center, she was treated by the pre-eminent
facility in the country, and everything available was done
to help her during her painful transition. Knowing that
Englewood Hospital is on the forefront of breast cancer
diagnosis and treatment, Kennedy Funding conceived The
Kennedy Funding Invitational both as a fitting tribute to
Leslie, and to ensure that Englewood Hospital will receive
the financial support necessary to continue fighting this
insidious disease."
Also benefiting from The Kennedy Funding Invitational as of
2007 is Nyack Hospital in New York. The Union State Bank
Cancer Center at Nyack Hospital was the 2005 recipient of
the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on
Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, given to only 9%
of programs surveyed. The center's comprehensive breast
cancer program features a one-stop experience for breast
cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support, with
access to both "high technology" clinical research protocols
and "high touch" supportive therapies. The Breast Care
Program believes that caring for women right in their own
community makes a tremendous difference in both their own
and their family's health.
Admission to The Kennedy Funding Invitational is free to the
public, and all proceeds will go to Englewood Hospital and
Nyack Hospital. The 2006 tournament resulted in over a
$250,000 contribution to Englewood Hospital & Medical
Center, and 2007's contribution is expected to approach
$400,000.
For more information about The Kennedy Funding Invitational,
please call James Miller at (917) 607-6477, or visit http://www.thekennedyfundinginvitational.com/.
For more information regarding Englewood Hospital and
Medical Center Foundation, please call 201-894-3725, or
visit http://www.englewoodhospital.com/.
Kennedy Funding is a commercial real estate
lending company that specializes in unconventional financing
where speed and attention to special circumstances are
critical. Their unique lending program has made Kennedy
Funding one of the largest direct, private lenders in the
country. Kennedy Funding recognizes the importance of speed,
and that loans must often be structured around each client's
unique set of financial circumstances. Their program has
been providing lightning-fast service and creative funding
solutions throughout North America since 1986, and
internationally since 1996.
Photography by
Maureen
Plainfield
Women - Friday
Scenes of Thursday Evening Men's Quarter Finals
See Photos of
Last Year's Event
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