Tennis Canada announced Monday that the organization has teamed up with 407 ETR to refurbish tennis courts in the Jane/Finch community. As part of the deal, 407 ETR has also become a silver sponsor of the 2008 Rogers Cup in Toronto.
“I am thrilled to have 407 ETR involved with the improvement of tennis courts in the Jane/Finch neighbourhood,” said Michael S. Downey, president and chief executive officer, Tennis Canada. “Supporting community tennis is a major part of Tennis Canada’s mission, and I know the children in the Jane/Finch area will benefit greatly from these new enhancements.”
The refurbishing includes new fencing, nets and posts and painted lines for mini-courts. The first two courts chosen for improvement are at San Romanoway, where the Jane/Finch Tennis League’s summer session is beginning on June 16. There are approximately 3,000 children and youth in the San Romanoway housing complex that will be able to take advantage of the restored courts, and many more children will reap the benefits of the improvements as San Romanoway is also a site for the Doug Philpott Inner-City Children’s Tennis Fund summer camp. Tennis Canada and the Jane/Finch Building Tennis Communities committee will soon be deciding on the next courts in the community that will be improved.
In addition to being a silver sponsor of the Rogers Cup, 407 ETR is also an associate sponsor of State Farm Family Day, which occurs on Sunday, July 20. On that day, 407 ETR will provide a prize for a lucky winner of the scavenger hunt and will also supply gifts for the goody bags that will be handed out to the first 500 kids in attendance. 407 ETR will also be running various activities on the promotions court during the day.
“This is a great opportunity to support a premier, international sporting event, held right in our backyard,” said Antonio de Santiago, president and chief executive office, 407 ETR. “407 ETR is proud to give back to the communities we serve not only by sponsoring the Rogers Cup but also by giving kids in Jane and Finch the chance to learn and play tennis on improved courts.”
To coincide with the new partnership, 407 ETR is providing a Customer Appreciation Offer and VIP Sweepstakes. All 407 ETR customers will receive a 30 per cent discount on tickets purchased for both the matinee and evenings sessions on Friday, July 25. Customers who purchase tickets will be entered into a draw to win a VIP trip to the 2008 Rogers Cup.
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association responsible for leading the growth, promotion and showcasing of tennis in Canada. Tennis Canada owns and operates two of the premier events on the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA tours; Rogers Cup men’s and women’s events that rotate annually between Rexall Centre in Toronto and Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. In addition, Tennis Canada owns and operates six professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports five other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national training centres at the Compass Centre of Excellence in Toronto and at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: www. tenniscanada.com.
About 407 ETR
407 ETR Concession Company Limited (“407 ETR”) is the operator and manager of Highway 407, which extends 108 kilometres east-west, just north of Toronto. 407 International Inc., the sole shareholder of 407 ETR, is owned by a consortium comprised of Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, Macquarie Infrastructure Group and SNC-Lavalin.
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For more information, contact:
Media:
Robert Nicol
Vice President, Communications and Government Relations
Tel: 905-264-5374
