Arthur Ashe Kids Day
Encyclopedia
Arthur Ashe Kids' Day is an annual tennis
/children’s event that takes place in the end of August at the United States Tennis Association
at Arthur Ashe Stadium
. (USTA) Center in Flushing Meadows
, Queens, New York
. It is sponsored by the Hess Corporation
, IBM
, and USTA. This event also begins the U.S. Open
, which officially starts one day later. This event is also televised on CBS the following day. It is a celebration of the memory of Arthur Ashe
, who died of AIDS
in 1993
, and of his efforts to help young people through tennis. Kids’ Day began in 1993, the year that Ashe died.
Participants at the Arthur Ashe Kids Day have an opportunity to play and/or watch numerous tennis matches before and after the main event at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Center. The main event at the stadium consists of a concert and tennis matches. As people enter the stadium, they are handed hats to commemorate the event.
Tennis greats that have appeared annually at Arthur Ashe Kids Day include Venus
and Serena Williams
, Roger Federer
, Rafael Nadal
, Andre Agassi
, Andy Roddick
, and Anna Kournikova
, who play to entertain the children and families and to raise money for charity
. Kids Day has been hosted by MTV
VJ Quddus and sportscaster
and ‘’Figure It Out
’’ host Summer Sanders
. Many popular singers have also performed at Kids Day, including Britney Spears
, Jessica Simpson
, 98 Degrees
, Bow Wow, Ne-Yo
, Jesse McCartney
, Justin Bieber
, Rihanna
, O Town, JoJo, Monica
, Jonas Brothers
and many others. During the day many tennis stars sign autographs and take pictures with the children.
At the 2005 Arthur Ashe Kids Day, the United States Postal Service
unveiled and issued the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Postal Stamp in the presence of the Ashe family.
\In 2011, the event which was originally scheduled for August 27, was cancelled in the wake of the forthcoming Hurricane Irene
. This marked the first time the event was cancelled in advance.
http://www.usopen.org/arthur_ashe_kids_day/fullstory.sps?iType=13846&iNewsid=405543
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
/children’s event that takes place in the end of August at the United States Tennis Association
United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
at Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium, a part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center located within Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens, is the main tennis stadium of the US Open, the last of each year's four Grand Slam tournaments, and also where the annual Arthur Ashe...
. (USTA) Center in Flushing Meadows
Flushing Meadows
Flushing Meadows is an American short film by Larry Jordan, with director Joseph Cornell. The film is 8 minutes long, in color, 16mm, and silent....
, Queens, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is sponsored by the Hess Corporation
Hess Corporation
The Hess Corporation is an integrated oil company based in New York City. The company explores, produces, transports, and refines crude oil and natural gas. Vertically completing the logistical chain, about 1,360 Hess branded filling stations market gasoline to consumers in 16 states along the...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, and USTA. This event also begins the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
, which officially starts one day later. This event is also televised on CBS the following day. It is a celebration of the memory of Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
, who died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in 1993
1993 in sports
1993 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Anita Wachter, Austria-American football:...
, and of his efforts to help young people through tennis. Kids’ Day began in 1993, the year that Ashe died.
Participants at the Arthur Ashe Kids Day have an opportunity to play and/or watch numerous tennis matches before and after the main event at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Center. The main event at the stadium consists of a concert and tennis matches. As people enter the stadium, they are handed hats to commemorate the event.
Tennis greats that have appeared annually at Arthur Ashe Kids Day include Venus
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
and Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...
, Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
, Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
, Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
, Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
, and Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova is a Russian retired professional tennis player. Her beauty and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide, despite the fact that she never won a WTA singles title. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name...
, who play to entertain the children and families and to raise money for charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. Kids Day has been hosted by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
VJ Quddus and sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and ‘’Figure It Out
Figure It Out
Figure It Out is an American children's game show hosted by Summer Sanders that aired on Nickelodeon for four seasons from July 7, 1997 to December 12, 1999....
’’ host Summer Sanders
Summer Sanders
Summer Elisabeth Sanders is a sports commentator and reporter, TV show host, actress and retired Olympic gold medalist in swimming.- School and swimming :...
. Many popular singers have also performed at Kids Day, including Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
, 98 Degrees
98 Degrees
98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California....
, Bow Wow, Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
, Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, O Town, JoJo, Monica
Monica (singer)
Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...
, Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
and many others. During the day many tennis stars sign autographs and take pictures with the children.
At the 2005 Arthur Ashe Kids Day, the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
unveiled and issued the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Postal Stamp in the presence of the Ashe family.
\In 2011, the event which was originally scheduled for August 27, was cancelled in the wake of the forthcoming Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
. This marked the first time the event was cancelled in advance.
http://www.usopen.org/arthur_ashe_kids_day/fullstory.sps?iType=13846&iNewsid=405543