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| Registration now available for Cal State L.A. Athletics plus evening dinner and auction with three Tennis Hall of Famers LOS ANGELES -- Cal State L.A. alumna and tennis hall of famer Billie Jean King returns to campus on Saturday, September 28, 2002, to host ÂBillie Jean King and Friends, Honoring Joe Shapiro. Registration for the event is now available, with proceeds directly benefit athletic scholarships for Cal State L.A.Âs intercollegiate athletics program. ÂIn its first four years, the event has netted more than $300,000, enabling us to not only enhance all of our current scholarship offerings, but also look to the future by creating two Billie Jean King Endowed Scholarships, noted Cal State L.A. athletic director Carol M. Dunn. One Billie Jean King Endowed Scholarship is presented annually to a Cal State L.A. tennis player, with the second scholarship presented annually to a deserving Cal State L.A. student-athlete in any of the UniversityÂs additional intercollegiate sports. ÂIt is with great pleasure I return to my alma mater, Cal State L.A., to participate and celebrate in the fundraising efforts benefiting men's and women's tennis and all athletic scholarship programs. This is our fifth year and our event is bigger and better than ever. IÂm very proud of the two endowed scholarships that have been created due to the success of the event. Billie Jean King is one of the most celebrated tennis players in history. In addition to her 39 Grand Slam titles, she has championed the cause of equality for womenÂs sports and is often recognized as one of the most influential women of the 20th century. Since 1998, this tennis legend has graciously donated her time to host a fundraiser for Golden Eagle athletics. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with a tennis clinic, pro-am and exhibition match at the Cal State L.A. Tennis Complex, featuring Billie Jean and other tennis professionals, including Hall of Famer Rosie Casals and 2002 Hall of Fame inductee Pam Shriver. Other tennis professionals over the past four years have included Tracy Austin, Pam Teeguarden and current Cal State L.A. head tennis coach Tina Karwasky. After a few fun hours of excitement on the tennis court, the event continues later that evening with a dinner and auction, to be held at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, where approximately 100 silent and live auction items are available. Recent silent auction items have included autographs from tennis stars Pete Sampras and Venus Williams; signed movie posters by such stars as Tom Hanks, Nicholas Cage and Tim Allen; and an autographed Wayne Gretzky hockey stick. Live auction items last year included a trip to the 2002 U.S. Open. World-class swimmer and nationally-recognized journalist Diana Nyad will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for this year's event. Nyad was the world's top distance swimmer for more than a decade, including a 102.5 mile swim in 1979 from the Bahamas to Florida in what became the longest swim in history by a male or female. Over the last two decades, she has served as a correspondent for ABC Sports, Fox Sports, National Public Radio and hosted her own show on CNBC television. For the third-straight year, the event also honors the late Joe Shapiro, former Executive Vice President at the Walt Disney Company and husband of tennis great Pam Shriver. The Joe Shapiro Award honors individuals who display exemplary characteristics of humanitarianism, leadership and vision, and is presented to those whose work and service to the community promotes a positive and lasting impact. Recipients must be grounded in the philosophy that one person can effectively and positively affect others perceptions and realities in the community in which one lives. The 2002 recipient of the Joe Shapiro Award will be announced at a later date. Attendee Packages for the Event Individuals: Where to Register/For More Information QUICK FACTS
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