Washington Kastles acquire 2008 World TeamTennis MVP Rennae Stubbs
Team Trades Angela Haynes and CoCo Vandeweghe to Sacramento for Stubbs and Olga Puchkova
The Washington Kastles have completed a blockbuster trade sending their second and third round picks, Angela Haynes and CoCo Vandeweghe, to the Sacramento Capitals for Rennae Stubbs, the reigning 2008 World TeamTennis Female MVP and 2008 Championship Finals MVP, and Olga Puchkova. With Stubbs’ six Grand Slam championships, the team now boasts 36 total Grand Slam titles among their five players and head coach.
Stubbs, ranked in the top ten in the world in doubles, is a former #1 ranked doubles player and has won 59 career Sony Ericsson WTA titles. She has also represented Australia four times in Olympic and Federation Cup competition. She won last year’s WTT and Championship Finals MVP titles as a member of the Kansas City Explorers and helped lead the Philadelphia Freedoms to WTT championships in 2001 and 2006, and the St. Louis Aces to a title in 1996.
“Our goal this year is to win the Championship when it is played in Washington on July 26th and this trade makes us a clear favorite to accomplish that. Rennae is one of the top doubles players in the world and is a fierce and experienced competitor,” said owner Mark Ein, who brokered the deal. “With this trade, we will be tough to beat in any set, much less a complete match.”
The Kastles also acquired Puchkova, who ranked #32 in the world in singles in 2007. Puchkova played three matches for the Capitals in 2008, compiling a 10-5 game record. She has local ties, having trained at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland, where she has recently begun working again. She is also a professional model represented by Elite Management.
“Olga has the ability to be one of the best women in the league and, with her recent work at the JTCC, we know she is ready to play,” continued Ein. “Both Olga and Rennae bring a lot of personality to our squad on and off the court. Our fans will love this team.”
The two newest Kastles will join their teammates on Thursday, July 2 to kick off the 2009 season on the west coast against the Newport Beach Breakers. The Kastles open the home schedule in DC on July 7 against two-time defending Wimbledon Champion Venus Williams and the Philadelphia Freedoms.
Source: Washington Kastles
Michael Phelps Named 2008 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonell announced today that Michael Phelps is the 2008 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Phelps is SI’s 55th Sportsman of the Year and joins Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, among other athletic greats who have received this award.
The SI Sportsman of the Year is presented annually to the person or team who transcended the year in both athletic performance and character. The descriptor, “It is not for the victory alone that he is honored. Rather, it is for the quality of his effort and the manner of his striving,” lifted from the pages of SI in 1957, represents the defining principle of the award.
“Michael Phelps as the 2008 Sportsman of the Year was the easiest choice I have made,” McDonell said. “Look at what he did in Beijing last summer. I was there. I saw him race after race, win again and again – we all saw that. And then to know him now — it is so obvious that he changed not only swimming, but also the entire Olympic landscape.”
Two thousand eight was a year of powerful moments in sports. The New York Giants’ dramatic Super Bowl win, Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open playoff victory on one leg, the Nadal/Federer Wimbledon final and a last-second shot in the NCAA men’s basketball championship, but it was Phelps’ unprecedented eight-gold- medal, seven-world-record achievement in Beijing under the intense spotlight of a global audience that rises above all.
Phelps will be honored at a ceremony in Manhattan this evening along with Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver — the first recipient of the Sportsman of the Year Legacy Award — and SI Kids’ SportsKid of the Year, Derek Andrews.
“It is for elevating his sport — and all of us out of our seats — with a beguiling grace and humility that SI honors Phelps with its 55th Sportsman of the Year Award,” writes Alan Shipnuck in his profile of Phelps. The magazine hits newsstands on Wednesday and marks Phelps’s sixth appearance on the cover of SI.
In Beijing Phelps delivered a performance for the ages in breaking Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old mark of seven gold medals in a single Olympiad. Phelps won individual gold in the 400-meter individual medley, 200-meter freestyle, 200- meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter butterfly to go along with team golds in the 4×100-meter freestyle, 4×200-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley relays. His 0.01-second victory over Serbia’s Milorad Cavic in the 100-meter butterfly and his U.S. team’s come-from-behind triumph over France in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay provided two of the most iconic moments of the 2008 Summer Games.
Other athletes named Sportsman on the strength of their Olympic performance include Bobby Joe Morrow (’56), U.S. Olympic hockey team (’80), Edwin Moses and Mary Lou Retton (’84), Bonnie Blair and Johann Olav Koss (’94).
Travelers Championship Generates More Than $760,000 for Charity
The Travelers Championship, Connecticut’s PGA TOUR event, announced that the 2008 tournament generated more than $760,000 for charity and produced millions in economic development for the region. The charitable contributions will benefit more than 120 charities throughout the state of Connecticut and represent an increase of more than 15 percent over the tournament’s 2007 donation.
“As title sponsor, Travelers is proud to lead an event that has the resources to positively impact so many people and organizations in our community through financial contributions and increased awareness of these charities,” said Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Travelers. “We are pleased to have delivered a successful event for Connecticut again this year, and we look forward to growing the tournament and ultimately its charitable impact on the community each year.”
Primary beneficiaries of the $760,000 were the Travelers Championship co-charities, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and the Greater Hartford Jaycees. In addition, more than 120 Connecticut charitable organizations benefited from the event through a variety of fundraising programs and donations.
“We are immensely grateful for our partnership with the Travelers Championship. This donation provides vital support to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, enabling us to offer children facing serious illness the chance to build self-esteem and restore joy,” said Ray Lamontagne, chairman of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. “In addition, through this event, we have been provided excellent media opportunities to increase awareness of the Camp’s remarkable programming.”
Located in Ashford, Conn., The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a residential summer camp and year-round center designed to serve children and families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses. At the Camp, youngsters with diagnoses including cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS and hemophilia have the time of their lives, while participating in boating, crafts, swimming, performing arts and more. The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp offers additional programs in the off-season for campers, their families and healthcare professionals. The Camp serves 15,000 children annually, all free of charge. In the words of one young camper, “I love it here. Sometimes you think being sick gives you limits, but the Camp helps you try anything.”
The Greater Hartford Jaycees is a membership organization for 21 – 41 year olds with a mission of leadership development through community service. Members of the Greater Hartford Jaycees are regularly seen in the community building playgrounds, delivering Thanksgiving turkeys to those in need, distributing Easter baskets to underprivileged children and facilitating youth leadership programs for high school students. In addition, the Greater Hartford Jaycees annually distributes thousands of dollars in scholarships and grants throughout the region.
“The Greater Hartford Jaycees is grateful to the thousands of fans, sponsors and volunteers who were part of the 2008 Travelers Championship, all of whom played a direct role in generating this donation,” said Joseph Pompei, president of the Greater Hartford Jaycees. “Through our involvement with the Travelers Championship, members of the Jaycees are able to develop leadership skills by organizing volunteers. With this donation, the organization will positively impact the community through scholarships for young people, grants for various charitable organizations and important community programming, such as Thanksgiving food baskets for those in need.”
More than 120 additional Connecticut charities were beneficiaries of the 2008 Travelers Championship through thousands of dollars raised in the Birdies for Charity pledge-based fundraiser and the Chip In for Charity ticket sales fundraiser. Additionally, the Travelers Championship made contributions to the World Golf Hall of Fame, as well as numerous product donations to regional fundraisers.
New this year, Haggett Longobardi, A Division of J.H. Cohn partnered in the tournament’s charitable giving mission as presenting sponsor of Birdies for Charity, by supporting administration of the program and generously providing a bonus fund for the charities that raised the most money.
“Haggett Longobardi, A Division of J.H. Cohn is proud to be a partner in this important community event. The Travelers Championship’s mission of giving back to Connecticut is complementary to our firm’s values, and we were pleased to find a way that we could support so many charities in our community,” said Frank Longobardi, managing partner. “Our Firm is committed to supporting Birdies for Charity by providing all administrative support and Birdies Bonus Bucks again in 2009. We urge all Connecticut nonprofits to explore this program and hope to see the funds raised continue to grow each year.”
This year’s donation included the tournament’s most successful Birdies for Charity campaign since the program was launched in 2004. The 2008 tournament included more than double the amount of charities participating in the program as compared to 2007.
“The program was so easy. In our first year participating in Birdies for Charity, we raised more than $11,000, plus we earned an additional $2,500 bonus. The funds we raised are going to help us provide our students with updated software needed so each child may continue to improve academically and socially,” said Sally McClure, director of development for the Intensive Education Academy.
Planning is well underway for the 2009 Travelers Championship, which will be held June 22 – 28, 2009 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. In addition to generating major charitable contributions, the tournament is a noteworthy economic driver for the state of Connecticut, annually attracting more than 220,000 fans and featuring four days of national television broadcast. Hosting an event of this magnitude results in extensive utilization of area hotels, airports and transportation providers; increased spending in local restaurants and stores; and significant operational expenses invested with a variety of local business to build the Travelers Championship site.
“Based on our investment in the local economy and the funds we raised for charity, the Travelers Championship is truly an event that Connecticut residents can be proud to have in their community. We are grateful for the many companies who supported us as sponsors and the thousands of fans who witnessed the tournament, making it possible for us to generate more then $760,000 for charity,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “We look forward to another successful tournament in 2009, and encourage everyone to consider how they can play a role in this event. Be it a new charity participating in a tournament fundraiser, new sponsors utilizing the tournament to grow their business, or fans and volunteers coming out to be part of the excitement, this event is truly a community partnership and offers a role for everyone to be involved.
Travelers Championship
The Travelers Championship will be held June 22 – 28, 2009, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. As the only PGA TOUR event in the Northeast in early summer, the Travelers Championship is one of the region’s premier sporting events. Primary beneficiaries of the Travelers Championship are The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, serving children facing serious illness, and the Greater Hartford Jaycees, a leadership development and community service organization. The event is sponsored by Travelers, a leading provider of property casualty insurance for home, auto and business. Travelers has been doing business in the community for nearly a century and a half, and today has more than 6,000 employees in the Greater Hartford area. The Official Property Casualty Insurer of the PGA TOUR, Travelers has been a sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952, becoming title sponsor in 2007. Complete details are available on www.TravelersChampionship.com.
Red Sox Pitcher Jon Lester Wins 2008 Hutch Award
Left-handed pitcher Jon Lester, who came back from an off-season battle with cancer to pitch the winning game for the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series, will receive the 2008 Hutch Award. The award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of baseball great Fred Hutchinson, both on and off the field.
The 24-year-old Tacoma, Wash. native made his Major League Baseball debut in June 2006. Lester ended the 2008 season with a 16-6 win/loss record and a 3.21 ERA with 152 strikeouts.
“This is a tremendous honor for me and my family to have been selected for the Hutch Award,” Lester said. “I’m humbled to know that legends such as Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax and Lou Brock have won this award in the past.”
Lester was diagnosed with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma in August 2006. Referred to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the treatment arm of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, he underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and recuperated at his parents’ home in Puyallup, Wash. In December 2006, doctors determined he was cancer-free and in February 2007 he joined the Red Sox for spring training in Florida. After some work in the minors, he returned to the major league mound against the Cleveland Indians on July 23, 2007. Boston won the game, 6-2.
“Congratulations to Jon Lester on the Hutch Award. Jon handled his adversity with grace and dignity,” said Red Sox Manager Terry Francona. “He is an inspiration to us all, on top of just being a really good kid.”
Lester’s experience with cancer has affected his life off the field and has influenced his fans. For example, he has taken time to meet young fans undergoing cancer treatment, and a group of Boston-area college students have started The Lester Project, which raises money for the Jimmy Fund, a cancer-research charity associated with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The Red Sox honored Lester with its 2007 Tony Conigliaro Award and the American League named him Player of the Week (May 19-25, 2008) and Pitcher of the Month for both July and September 2008.
Lester will visit children at the Hutchinson Center’s Hutch School and receive his award at the annual Hutch Award Luncheon on Jan. 21 at Safeco Field in Seattle. Legendary pitcher and baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver will be the luncheon’s keynote speaker.
Funds raised through the Hutch Award Luncheon benefit The Gregory Fund(R) for early cancer-detection research at the Hutchinson Center. The Gregory Fund was established in 2003 as a collaboration of the Hutchinson Center and The Moyer Foundation, founded by major-league pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen.
The Hutchinson Center was founded by Fred’s brother Bill, a prominent Seattle surgeon, after Fred died of cancer at age 45. The Hutch Award was established in 1965 and was first given to Mickey Mantle. Other Hutch Award winners have included Moyer, 2007 recipient Mike Sweeney, Mark Loretta, Craig Biggio, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Omar Vizquel, Sandy Koufax and Carl Yastrzemski. In all, 11 Hall-of-Famers have received the Hutch Award. For more information about the Hutch Award, including a full list of past recipients, visit http://www.fhcrc.org/hutchaward.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit fhcrc.org.
Source: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center