Kids from East Los Angeles to gain tips from tennis pros at clinic.
Will we see the next Serena or Venus Williams?
Cal State L.A.’s 17th annual Billie Jean King and Friends Event will be honoring Olympic track and field medalists and civil rights advocates Tommie Smith and John Carlos with a Joe Shapiro Award on Saturday, Oct. 11. The evening program will take place in the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.
Smith won the gold medal and Carlos claimed the bronze medal in the 200-meter race at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City and their raised fists with black gloves on the medal stand became one of the most iconic – and controversial – moments in Olympic history.
On Saturday morning, tennis legends Bill Jean King and Rosie Casals will be on hand for a tennis clinic at Cal State L.A. that is being co-sponsored by the United States Tennis Association. More than 25 kids from the Boys and Girls Club of East Los Angeles will be participating. The public is also invited.
The Billie Jean King and Friends Event is the major fundraiser that benefits the student-athlete scholarship fund at Cal State L.A. King is a Cal State L.A. alumna.
Tennis Clinic
When: * Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by clinic from 9-10:30 a.m.
* Drinks and snacks with tennis great Billie Jean King will be at 10:30 a.m.
* 4th Annual Billie Jean King Collegiate Team Tennis Challenge from 10:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Where: Cal State L.A. Tennis Complex. (Public permit parking is available at Lot 5 and upper level of Structure C.) For a campus map and directions: /univ/maps/index.php
Info: Children ages 5 to14 are free and adults are $25 or free with the purchase of a Billie Jean King dinner ticket. Participants will receive instruction from current and former Cal State L.A. tennis players, coaches and players from UC Irvine’s club team. For more info, visit /billiejeanking/morning-tennis-clinic.
Evening Program
When: * Reception and silent auction starts at 5:30 p.m.
* Welcome and dinner at 7 p.m.
* Acknowledgements and Joe Shapiro Award presentation at 8:15 p.m.
More: The Joe Shapiro Award is presented in memory of Joe Shapiro, who was a member of Billie Jean King’s executive committee. Shapiro was known for working enthusiastically to help student-athletes reach their educational and athletic goals. The award is given annually to an individual or individuals whose work and service to the community promote a positive and lasting impact.
Where: Langham Huntington Hotel, 1401 S Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena.
Info: Tickets start at $250. For more info, call (323) 343-3080 or visit /billiejeanking.
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Cal State L.A. is a university dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. Founded in 1947, the University is home to over 23,000 active students, and 235,000 distinguished alumni, who are as diverse as the city we serve. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Cal State L.A. has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility. Led by an award-winning faculty, the University offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities.
Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex, TV, Film and Media Center and the Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. For more information, visit CalStateLA.edu, or like us at Facebook.com/CalStateLA.
10/06/14