Look To The Stars News: Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation

Andre Agassi's Grand Slam A Success

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Sheryl Crow, Natasha Bedingfield, The Killers, Lifehouse, Ray Romano, Rod Stewart and David Spade were among the performers at the 13th annual Agassi Grand Slam for Children benefit concert in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The concert raised funds for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which provides recreational and educational opportunities for at-risk boys and girls, and was preceded by an invitation-only concert on Friday that featured James Taylor and Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik.

Among the 1,900 guests at Saturday’s Grand Slam were Stefi Graf, Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon, the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Donny Osmond, comedian George Wallace, and many more.

Andre Agassi said that while the event was a benefit, this year’s focus was not on counting the dollars, but instead celebrating accomplishments made possible through the support of talented performers, generous sponsors, enthusiastic attendees and hard-working volunteers. Agassi summed it up as “a night full of heart.

Andre Agassi Grand Slam For Kids This Weekend

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, The Killers and David Spade will headline the 13th annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children benefit concert in Las Vegas this weekend.

“I’m thrilled to have so many amazing performers donate their talents to help us help children,” said Agassi. “We look forward to celebrating with our partners what we’ve accomplished in Las Vegas with the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy and our future efforts to transform public education for underserved children nationwide.”

The concert will raise funds for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which provides recreational and educational opportunities for at-risk boys and girls. The concert will be preceded by an invitation-only concert tonight – October 10 – featuring James Taylor and Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik.

“This year the Grand Slam for Children is being held at Wynn Las Vegas, which offers a first-class, intimate experience for our guests,“ said Agassi. “The event is sure to be a hit with top exclusive entertainment at this beautiful venue.”

Since its inception in 1995, the Grand Slam for Children has been distinguished by its roster of entertainers, including Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Jerry Seinfeld, Stevie Wonder, Ellen DeGeneres, Jamie Foxx, Robin Williams, Don Henley, Tony Bennett, Luther Vandross, Usher, Goo Goo Dolls, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, John Mayer, Ray Romano, Lionel Richie, Carlos Santana, Seal, Duran Duran and Josh Groban. More than 98,000 fans and VIP guests have attended the past 12 Grand Slam events, raising more than $70 million for charity.

Agassi’s 2008 Grand Slam for Children will take place tomorrow night, October 11, with musical direction by David Foster. More information about tickets can be found at the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation website.

Agassi And Graf Host Hamptons Charity Dinner

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Jennifer Beckmann

Tennis aces Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf played host and hostess of a dinner benefitting The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation last weekend.

This summer marks the Hamptons debut of tennis power couple Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, who have been vacationing in the posh Long Island community with their children. But it is not all fun and games. They are also there to raise awareness and funds for The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.

Last Saturday night, the couple hosted A Night in the Hamptons – a benefit dinner that drew the attendance of other celebrities such as Lorraine Bracco. Chevy Chase and Kelsey Grammar emceed the event, and singer Rob Thomas performed. “It’s inspiring, what he’s doing,” Thomas said of Agassi’s charity work.

The event also included a live auction, and an online auction runs through August 21.

The Agassi Foundation, founded in 1994, is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children through its support of recreational and educational programs, including Agassi Prep, a school for disadvantaged children in the Agassi and Graf family’s hometown of Las Vegas. More than 180,000 children have been touched by the Foundation’s funding of programs designed to enhance their character, self-esteem and career possibilities.

For more information on Agassi’s Foundation, click here.

Andre Agassi Plans Star-Studded Galas

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik will join James Taylor for a special VIP event to raise money for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.

Andre Agassi’s 2008 Grand Slam for Children will take place on October 11 at Wynn Las Vegas and feature a concert by Grammy-award winning singer Sheryl Crow, with other performers to be announced soon. However, the gala will be preceded the previous night – October 10 – by a special show featuring Ondrasik and Taylor for Gold and Diamond sponsors.

The Grand Slam shows will follow the charity’s annual A Night In The Hamptons event on August 16 at Ross School. The evening will be hosted by Agassi and will include dinner, a live auction and a special performance by Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas. Emcees for the evening will be Chevy Chase and Kelsey Grammar. The event is limited to 35 table sponsorships at $35,000 each, with 10 seats per table. Individual seats are also available at $3,500 each.

The Andre Agassi Foundation – which focuses on changing the lives of at-risk children through programs that provide educational and recreational opportunities and has raised over $70 million to support these programs in the last 14 years – hopes this will be a very intimate event where sponsors can hear directly from Andre Agassi how the Foundation is working to effect change in public education and at the same time, have a fantastic evening for a great cause.

More information about the events can be found at the Andre Agassi Foundation website.

Andre Agassi To Serve At Charity Match

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Tennis great Andre Agassi has been confirmed to play at a charity match at the Sherwood Country Club in California in September.

The Bryan Brothers’ All-Star Tennis Smash will take place on September 27, and will benefit local and national charities. It is the first event to benefit The Bryan Brothers Foundation, an organization set up by the top-ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan, both of whom play for the US Davis Cup team and will compete at the Beijing Olympics next month.

“We were thrilled when Andre committed to play at our event,” said Bob Bryan. “On the court, he’s of course long been a hero of ours. Off the court, he’s been a mentor to us as we’ve watched him build the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.”

Former tennis champion Lindsay Davenport and current player James Blake are also scheduled to appear.

Time's 100 - Tribute To Andre Agassi By Andy Roddick

Thu, 15 May 2008 11:26:29 -0000

Tennis star Andy Roddick wrote about Andre Agassi’s generous spirit for this year’s Time 100 list:

“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” —Arthur Ashe

“Arthur could well have been talking about Andre Agassi. We are all aware of his tennis accomplishments, the brilliance and flash of his career. It’s impossible to forget his epic U.S. Open victories, and also—though he might want us to forget—the mullet and acid-washed jeans. But the greater challenge for an athlete is to have a positive impact away from the cameras. I’ve been privileged to witness firsthand Andre, 38, do just that.

“When I was 17 years old, we were on a flight together. I was very nervous, but Andre was kind and encouraged me to ask him questions. When I asked about his biggest regret, I expected some answer related to our profession. Instead he said it was not starting his charitable foundation earlier. I was shocked that a person who has set such a high bar for athletic philanthropy still felt like he could do more. But that is Andre.

“There are most likely plenty of kids at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a model K-12 charter school for disadvantaged children in Las Vegas, who have never watched a match of his. I promise you that Andre could not care less. He would rather be viewed as the man who gives them dreams and opportunities.”

Roddick is the No. 1 tennis player in the U.S., and has his own foundation, which raises funds for children in need.

12th Annual Andre Agassi Benefit Concert Raises More than $9 Million for Children

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:01:30 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The 12th Annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit Concert presented by Genworth Financial proved to be a raging success last weekend, raising more than $9 million for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. The AACF raised $8.1 million through ticket sales and a silent auction, while Charles Heers, owner of Tuscany Suites & Casino in Las Vegas pledged an additional $1 million to bring the total to $9.1 million.

“I am grateful that there are so many people dedicated to helping kids,” Agassi said. “I’m thrilled with the turnout from the public, the generosity of our sponsors, donors and bidders, and the commitment and talent of the performers who so graciously give their time to the Grand Slam. It was one of the greatest nights of the year.”

The star-studded concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on October 6th attracted more than 8,200 fans who enjoyed live music by Tony Bennett, Kelly Clarkson, Matchbox Twenty and George Wallace. Several surprises throughout the night included performances by Jerry Seinfeld, the Goo Goo Dolls and Hall & Oats. Fans were also treated to a fantastic performance from Carlos Santana and Matchbox Twenty front man Rob Thomas, who teamed up to close the evening with their multi-Grammy Award- winning hit “Smooth.”

A pre-concert reception and live auction was held for VIP sponsors, who bid on a variety of items including a Porsche Cayenne from the Sopranos signed by James Gandolfini and Edie Falco Robin Williams’ movie premiere and after-party; an in-home food and wine pairing for 12 with Emeril Lagasse an evening at a Six Flags park for 500 friends; and vacation packages such as a Costa Rican getaway with private tennis lessons from Agassi and Stefanie Graf.

The two most noteworthy auction items were the Porsche Cayenne and a Dale Chihuly chandelier. The 2005 Porsche Cayenne SUV, which was plucked from the set of the Sopranos, fetched $100,000. The vehicle once driven by ‘Carmela Soprano’ boasts a 4.5-liter V8 engine, as well as a 350-watt, 14-speaker Bose stereo and only has 6,758 miles on it. Richard and Theresa Beauchamp from Steamboat Springs, Colorado placed the winning bid for $90,000, but auctioneer Jack Williams added $10,000 of his own money to bring the total price to $100,000. The Beauchamps’ new ride comes complete with a bronze plaque bearing the signatures of Sopranos stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco.

Perhaps earning the highest bid of the night was the Mercato del Pesce di Rialto Chandelier, sculpted by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Chihuly created the chandelier during his two years of work in Finland, Ireland, Mexico and Italy, where the chandelier was then suspended over the canals and piazzas of Venice. The historical piece is six feet wide and six feet tall and is composed of approximately 126 glass elements. Final bid: $250,000.

Since its inception in 1994, the Grand Slam for Children concert fundraiser to benefit the AACF has raised more than $70 million for charity. Specific charities benefiting from the AACF fundraiser include the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a model charter school in West Las Vegas; Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club; Assistance League of Las Vegas’ Operation School Bell; Boys Hope/Girls Hope of Nevada; Child Haven; Cynthia Bunker and Joy McClenahan Memorial Scholarship Fund; I Have A Dream Foundation; Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars presented by Inner-City Games; Las Vegas Philharmonic’s Youth Concert Series; Las Vegas Sun Summer Camp; and YMCA of Southern Nevada.

The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation is a 501©(3) not-for-profit public charity created to provide recreational and educational opportunities for at-risk boys and girls. The Foundation strives to assist those underprivileged, abused and abandoned children who may be deprived of basic options in life. The AACF also offers a combination of emotional, physical and academic programs designed to enhance a child’s character, self-esteem and career possibilities. For information, visit http://www.agassifoundation.org.

Genworth Financial is a leading insurance holding company, serving the lifestyle protection, retirement income, investment and mortgage insurance needs of more than 15 million customers, and has operations in 24 countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and 17 other European countries. For more information, visit http://www.genworth.com.

Oprah Tops Celebrity Philanthropy A-List

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:24:15 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

A list of the 30 largest public donations made by celebrities in the past year puts Oprah in the top spot.

The Giving Back Fund, which encourages and advises on celebrity philanthropy, compiles its list each year. President Marc Pollick said, “Encouragement-by-example is the main reason for the Giving Back 30 list.”

Oprah gave $58.3 million to Oprah’s Angel Network and her recently-opened Leadership Academy.

Of the other celebrities high on the list, Barbra Streisand was in fourth spot, having given $11.75 million through her Streisand Foundation.

Tiger Woods took fifth place, giving $9.5 million to organisations including the Tiger Woods Learning Center funded by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Giving Back’s Marc Pollick praised an increasing trend in celebrity donations, saying, “Ten years ago when Slate magazine first published the Slate 60 reporting on the most generous American philanthropists, the last donor on their list gave $5 million. This year the last donor donated $30 million to charity. This is the type of growth we are hoping to inspire within the sports and entertainment community. One cannot help but be influenced by the generosity of his or her peers.”

The full list and information about how it was compiled can be found at givingback.org. This site has previously reported on many of the list’s featured celebrities and their donations; a comprehensively linked version of the list appears below:

Position	Celebrity	Donation	Cause(s)
1	Oprah Winfrey	$58,300,000	Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Oprah’s Angel Network, and other groups
2	Geoffrey Beene	$44,000,000 (bequest)	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
3	Jack and Marie Lord	$40,000,000 (bequest)	Hawaii Community Foundation
4	Barbra Streisand	$11,750,000	Streisand Foundation, numerous civil liberties, environmental, and civil rights organizations “dedicated to democratic values”
5	Tiger Woods	$9,500,000	Tiger Woods Learning Center, Earl D. Woods Sr. Scholarship Fund, and other Tiger Woods Foundation programs
6	Rosie O’Donnell	$5,700,000	Katrina Relief efforts including Renaissance Village (a temporary shelter for Katrina victims), day care centers, a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, and a Habitat For Humanity sub division in Baton Rouge
7	Martha Stewart	$5,000,000	New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital for a center on healthy aging
8	Carmelo Anthony	$4,282,000	CAF Youth Center in Baltimore, AAU Basketball, Syracuse University Recreational Center, and other charities
9	Pat Boone & Shirley Boone	$3,000,000	Pepperdine University for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology Center for the Family
9	LeRoy Neiman	$3,000,000	The School of the Art Institute of Chicago to support a Master’s class in figure drawing
11	Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt	$2,415,000	School and Community Center in Swakopmund in Namibia, Daniel Pearl Foundation, Namibian hospitals, Doctors Without Borders, Global Action for Children and others
12	Nicolas Cage	$2,000,000	Amnesty International for a fund to help child soldiers
12	Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) and Dany Garcia Johnson	$2,000,000	University of Miami to name new Alumni Center living room
12	Paul McCartney	$2,000,000	Adopt-A-Minefield
12	Arnold Palmer	$2,000,000	Pledged to the Arnold Palmer Foundation ultimately to benefit the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
16	David Geffen	$1,600,000	David Geffen Foundation
17	Susan Saint James and Dick Ebersol	$1,300,000	The Gunnery to help pay for a new dormitory in memory of their son Teddy killed in a plane crash
18	Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg	$1,250,000	Boston University to renovate facilities
19	Andre Agassi	$1,070,000	Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
20	Tiki and Ronde Barber and family	$1,000,000	University of Virginia to support the McIntire School of Commerce, the Virginia Athletics Foundation, Childrens Hospital, a scholarship fund for African-American students, the Young Alumni Council, and to challenge young alumni to participate in the capital campaign
20	Bob Barker	$1,000,000	Georgetown University to endow a fund at its law school that will focus on the study of animal rights
20	Gloria Estefan	$1,000,000	Miami Paralysis Project
20	Dr. Phil McGraw & Robin McGraw	$1,000,000	Dr. Phil Foundation
20	George Steinbrenner & family	$1,000,000	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for Boshamer Stadium for baseball
20	Tony Stewart	$1,000,000	Victory Junction Gang Camp
20	Denzel Washington	$1,000,000	Save Africa’s Children
27	Mike Sexton	$560,000	Special Olympics, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Children, Inc., Wounded Warrior Project, Ohio State University, and other charities
28	Lance Armstrong	$500,000	Lance Armstrong Foundation
28	Dolly Parton	$500,000	Fort Sanders Medical Center
28	Elizabeth Taylor	$500,000	New Orleans AIDS Task Force to purchase mobile medical unit for AIDS sufferers in New Orleans

Priceless Piano on Auction at the David Foster and Friends Charity Gala

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:44:29 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Over 60 superstars have signed David Foster’s one-of-a-kind Yamaha grand piano, which will be auctioned live and via the internet during the 2006 David Foster and Friends Gala.

The piano has been used in dozens of major performances including shows in Las Vegas, a recent performance at David’s home by Barbra Streisand, Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night to benefit the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, and Andre Agassi’s Grand Slam for Children benefitting underprivileged and abused children through the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.

Some of the celebrities who have signed the piano are Barbra Streisand, Céline Dion, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Sting, Tim McGraw, Robin Williams and Donald Trump.

Foster says, “My favourite songs have been performed on this piano by the original artists. It has been with us for some truly great events at some spectacular venues. I am thrilled that its legacy will help improve the lives of families and children in need.”

The piano will be on public display at the River Rock Casino Resort in Vancouver until September 10, the night of the gala. All proceeds go the the David Foster Foundation and will benefit families of children in need of organ transplants.

Look To The Stars News: Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation

Andre Agassi's Grand Slam A Success

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