Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King Smash Hits Charity Tennis Event

http://www.she-nanigans.net/?p=757

Lifelong friends, Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King, are bringing their annual World TeamTennis Smash Hits charity event to Cleveland, Ohio.

Tennis greats Martina Navratilova, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, Coco Vandeweghe, and Jan-Michael Gambill will join a host of other players on 27 October 2011.Smash Hits has raised more than $10million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and various local AIDS charities since its inception in 1993. An auction will also be held on the evening. Previous lots have included: Billie Jean King’s Wimbledon Centre Court seats, one of Sir Elton John’s signed piano benches and Super Bowl tickets. This years prizes promise to be just as exciting!

Captained by King and John, the players will form two teams and play a match using the World Team Tennis (WTT) team format. The music legend will also participate in a celebrity doubles match to open the event. So far, King and John have split the competition with nine wins each.

‘It is always such a great pleasure to co-host this wonderful event with my dear friend Billie Jean King,’ said Sir Elton. ‘I’m so pleased that we will be teaming up with the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland to raise awareness about the continuing challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic both locally and nationally to raise urgently needed dollars for community-based HIV prevention, education, treatment, and care services. I urge all of the tennis fans and concerned citizens in the Greater Cleveland area to support this event and bring their families for a wonderful evening of tennis for a great cause.’

Roddick, who is playing his seventh Smash Hits event, is a former world No.1 and continues to be one of the most successful players on the ATP Tour.

Navratilova, a 59-time Grand Slam champion in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, will be making her ninth Smash Hits appearance. Navratilova spent 156 consecutive weeks as the world’s No.1 singles player and shares the all-time Wimbledon record of 20 titles with WTT co-founder Billie Jean King. Navratilova holds 167 singles titles, more than any other player, male or female and 178 doubles titles. She is also one of the most successful WTT players in League history, leading her teams to five championships during her 20 seasons.

Impressing off the court as well as on, she has publicly dealt with a breast cancer diagnosis last year, and impressively continued to play tennis during her months of treatment.

This is the first Smash Hits event for Mauresmo. In 2004, she became the first French woman tennis player to be ranked No.1 in the world.

King said: ‘ It is great for Elton and I to return to Cleveland and we are looking forward to a night of competitive and entertaining tennis.’

She added: ‘ WTT Smash Hits is much more than a tennis event. It’s a way for us to give back to the local community and make an impact by generating awareness and much-needed financial support for HIV and AIDS. We hope the Greater Cleveland area will help us reach those goals and support Smash Hits.’

For further information visit: www.WTT.com/SmashHits

BSO, Cavanaugh honor Elton John

http://www.gazette.net/article/20111012/ENTERTAINMENT/710129982/-1/-1/bso-cavanaugh-honor-elton-john&template=gazette

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Michael Cavanaugh

The BSO SuperPops series presents the music of Elton John, featuring Michael Cavanaugh and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Amado, at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. The Grammy-nominated vocalist and pianist will perform the pop star’s greatest hits. Ticket prices range from $28 to $88. Call 877-BSO-1444 or visit www.BSOmusic.org.