The New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara has launched a new breast cancer initiative to raise awareness and funds to help in the fight against breast cancer including a CYBEX Pink Ribbon Run and multiple initiatives with Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, it was announced recently by Anne Worcester, tournament director. The New Haven Open is a WTA event that is part of the Olympus US Open Series and will be held August 18-27 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.
The New Haven Open has partnered with CYBEX, a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment, to feature a CYBEX Pink Ribbon Run during the tournament. The Pink Ribbon Run will offer players, fans, sponsors and media the opportunity to walk or run on a special pink treadmill to raise funds for breast cancer. For every mile logged, donations will be made to Susan G. Komen Connecticut Affiliate and the Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Starting today, anyone can make a donation for each mile logged on the treadmill, or make a lump sum donation, by emailing pinkribbonrun@newhavenopen.com.
In addition, the pink treadmill, which will be signed by all the WTA players, will be auctioned off after the New Haven Open. Starting
today, bids may be placed on www.charitybuzz.com, and all proceeds will be donated to the above breast cancer charities.
“As a women’s-only tournament, and considering that one in every eight women in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer, it is a natural tie-in for the New Haven Open to launch a breast cancer awareness initiative,” said Worcester. “It is our goal to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer, especially the importance of early detection. I encourage everyone to come out and participate in the CYBEX Pink Ribbon Run in one of three ways: by walking or running on the treadmill, making a donation per mile or bidding in the auction of the pink treadmill.”
“Exercise education is a platform our company prides itself on,” said Lisa Juris, CYBEX VP of Marketing. “The CYBEX Pink Ribbon Run is designed to showcase the importance of exercise – and specifically how exercise can reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by approximately 50%.”
In addition, throughout the tournament guests can visit the Yale-New Haven Mammography Van on-site to receive mammograms and information on breast cancer awareness and early detection. Finals day, Saturday August 27, is “Yale-New Haven Hospital Day” and the first 7,500 guests will receive a pink hat in honor of breast cancer awareness, courtesy of Yale-New Haven Hospital. The tournament will also donate a portion of finals ticket proceeds to the Breast Center at Smilow Cancer
Hospital at Yale-New Haven.
"We are pleased that the New Haven Open at Yale has chosen to
highlight the importance of breast cancer awareness and early
detection during this year's tournament," said Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD, Director of Yale Cancer Center and Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. "The funds raised through the CYBEX Pink Ribbon Run events will provide critical support for innovative breast cancer research and patient care."
In addition to the breast cancer initiatives, other special off-court events include an expanded weeklong New Haven Food & Wine Festival. NEW this year are the BBQ Bash (Sunday, August 21, 5:00-7:30 p.m.), which features live music and BBQ-inspired cuisine from top regional chefs, Mixology 101 (Monday, August 22, 5:00-7:00 p.m.), featuring New Haven’s top mixologist, John Ginnetti of 116 Crown, and Champagne Tasting (which is sold out). The popular Grand Tasting (Wednesday, August 24, 5:00-7:30 p.m.) returns for its fourth anniversary and will feature dishes from 23 of New Haven’s award-winning restaurants. Also returning is the Vineyard Vines Ladies’ Day Luncheon and Fashion Show (Thursday, August 25, 11:30-1:00 p.m.), which features the latest in preppy styles and an appearance by Dr. Anees Chagpar, Director of the Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.
Also NEW this year is the TEEKANNE High Tea (Wednesday, August 24 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.) featuring TEEKANNE brand ambassador and former World No. 1 Stefanie Graf. An event for tea and tennis aficionados alike, TEEKANNE High Tea invites guests to enjoy a light buffet, sample several varieties of TEEKANNE Herbal Wellness Tea and participate in a meet and greet with Hall of Famer Graf.
Enhanced this year is the Aetna FitZone, which will feature health and fitness activities for kids and adults alike throughout the entire tournament. Fans can enjoy a NEW daily Aetna Fitness Clinic (1:00-4:00 p.m.), which offers tennis instruction, cardio tennis, and Zumba. The Aetna FitZone will also feature weeklong 10 & Under Tennis activities, a Fast Serve contest, games, a face painter, a bungee run, an activity center and prizes.
Numerous other family-friendly events will return to the New Haven Open including Aetna Kids Day presented by ESPN, which invites kids of all ages to enjoy music, court games, giveaways, autograph sessions and appearances by WTA pros on Sunday, August 21.
A complete schedule of events can be found at
http://www.newhavenopen.com/SpecialEvents/Daily-and-Weeklong-Hot-Happenings/. For more information on the events at the 2011 New Haven Open and for tickets, please visit www.newhavenopen.com.
About New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara
New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara has always been much more than a tennis tournament; it is a leading example of leveraging a large-scale international sporting event to generate $26 million in regional economic impact and to build community pride, spirit and engagement, especially among youth. The 2011 tournament, which will feature World No. 1 and three-time defending champion Caroline Wozniacki and two Grand Slam champions Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova, is a women’s-only WTA event that is part of the Olympus US Open Series and will be held August 18-27 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. This year the tournament has added the US Open National Playoffs Championships, the culmination of 16 sectional qualifying tournaments that provide the opportunity for all players 14 years of age and older to earn a berth into the US Open in men’s and women’s singles and mixed doubles. The New Haven Open is prominently featured domestically on ESPN2 and also broadcast around the world. For more information about the tournament and tickets, visit www.newhavenopen.com or call 1-855-4-NHTENNIS.
About First Niagara Financial Group
As of April 25th, First Niagara Financial Group, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., has $30 billion in assets, 346 branches and $18 billion in deposits. First Niagara Bank, N.A. is a multi-state community-oriented bank providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.fnfg.com.
About the Olympus US Open Series
The Olympus US Open Series has established itself as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans follow the action throughout the summer through national television coverage, culminating each week with back-to-back men's and women's finals every Sunday afternoon. Players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. In 2008, Olympus became the first title sponsor of the Series. The Olympus US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express and Evian.
Andy Murray won the 2010 Olympus US Open Series men's title and
Caroline Wozniacki won the women's title. In 2007, Roger Federer
collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history -- $2.4 million -- for winning US Open and the Olympus US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series, winning $2.2 million -- the largest purse in women's sports history -- and again equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the Olympus US Open Series in second place.
