Rally for the Cure and USPTA Partner to Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer
May 27, 2009
HOUSTON — Rally for the Cure and the United States Professional Tennis Association have joined forces to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer through tennis and the USPTA’s Lessons for Life program. The alliance also fits naturally under the USPTA’s broader Tennis — for the health of it!SM initiative.
It is an ideal partnership since Rally for the Cure was already targeting tennis events for the cause, and the USPTA provides a natural bridge as the world’s largest association of tennis-teaching professionals. Rally for the Cure has tools and materials for USPTA tennis-teaching professionals interested in running a Lessons for Life charity tennis event in support of Rally for the Cure.
The USPTA’s Tennis — for the health of it! is a call to action that not only encourages people to play the sport for the tremendous mental and physical health benefits, but also focuses on preventative health. The partnership with Rally for the Cure expands the reach of this initiative by addressing the devastating impact of illnesses and bringing people together to support such an important cause. Many USPTA members already raise money for Rally for the Cure and other breast cancer organizations because it hits close to home and they know someone in their friends/family circle who has been affected by breast cancer.
Through Lessons for Life, the USPTA encourages its members to use tennis as a vehicle to help others through fundraising activities in their communities. The USPTA and its members have now raised more than $36 million for several charities since the program’s inception in 1999. Many of the fundraisers take place at country clubs and commercial clubs, where the majority of USPTA Professionals direct tennis operations and programming. Fundraisers take the form of tournaments, pro-ams, auctions, black-tie dinners and clinics.
Rally for the Cure®, in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and Condé Nast Publications, is a grassroots program dedicated to spreading awareness in the fight to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. Rally brings the breast cancer awareness message to active women and men, and its events provide the platform for special fundraising opportunities for Komen for the Cure. Visit rallyforthecure.com for more information.
“Partnering with the USPTA is a natural fit for Rally for the Cure. Both of our organizations promote the game of tennis as part of a healthy lifestyle and combining a sport you enjoy with a purpose behind it is a win-win for everyone,” said Rally for the Cure program manager Diane Perillo. “Awareness is the key to detecting not only breast cancer but many other diseases. Tennis is a great activity to bring people together to rally around the breast cancer cause while enabling them to take charge of their health.”
“This is a unique partnership and one that we are honored to be a part of,” said USPTA CEO Tim Heckler. “We encourage our teaching pros to give to important causes through tennis and Lessons for Life and spread the word about the great health benefits of tennis through Tennis — for the health of it! and this partnership ties both of those together for the very important cause of breast cancer awareness.”