5th Annual Washington Kastles Charity Classic Returns Thursday, July 27
Republicans, Democrats, Major Media Personalities and Kastles Players Team Up in One of Washington's Favorite Bipartisan Traditions
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Washington Kastles have announced that the 5th Annual Washington Kastles Charity Classic will take place on Thursday, July 27th in Kastles Stadium at the GW Smith Center. Pairing Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, well-known Washington media personalities and Kastles players together in a series of fast-paced doubles matches, the Kastles Charity Classic is one of DC's most fun and entertaining summer nights for philanthropy and bipartisanship. All tickets are $10 and all proceeds go to charity.
"Winning championships has been great but giving back to our community has always been the core mission of this franchise," said Kastles owner Mark Ein, whose franchise has made nearly $1.5 million in charitable donations since its founding in 2008. "The Kastles Charity Classic is our signature event to that end and is also one of those unique chances to see Republicans, Democrats and major Washington media figures play together on the same teams – and enjoy it!"
Teams for the event are comprised of a mix of Members of Congress from each party, the Administration and prominent members of the media and the sports world, as well as the professional tennis players from the six-time World TeamTennis champion Kastles.
All Kastles Charity Classic participants – including Kastles players – will represent either Team Stars or Team Stripes, with members of Congress and the media playing alongside the likes of American star Sam Querrey, Bruno Soares, one of the best doubles players in the world and a five-time Grand Slam champion, top WTT singles player Madison Brengle, 2015 WTT Co-Female MVP Anastasia Rodionova, and Kastles head coach Murphy Jensen, who won the 1993 French Open doubles title.
The team winning the most overall games wins the match, but the real winners of the night are the charities that receive 100 percent of the ticket sale proceeds. This year, the Kastles will partner with several worthy causes, including the DC Ed Fund, an endowment that supports high-impact programs in DC public schools, and Food & Friends, a food bank and delivery service supporting in-need individuals and families throughout the DC metro area, and N Street Village, an organization that supports and empowers homeless and low-income women in DC.
"Year after year I'm amazed by the spirit of the event and the altruism and enthusiasm on display during the Charity Classic," said Ein. "The evening is a representation of the best of what Washington has to offer. I am so grateful to the men and women of the media and Congress who come out and put on an entertaining – often hilarious – show, but I'm equally grateful to the thousands of spectators whose ticket money goes directly back to our community via fantastic charities."
This year's confirmed roster of participants is a cross-section of political power players from both sides of the aisle and media personalities from the biggest outlets. The Members (regardless of party affiliation), the media, and the Kastles players will be mixed together on bipartisan and co-ed teams – the hallmark of WTT, the only professional league in the U.S. that pairs men and women equally together.
"Billie Jean King founded this incredible league as a means of reminding the world that people of all backgrounds should work together and that gender equality should extend to all athletics, and the Charity Classic is a living embodiment of that spirit of men and women, Republicans and Democrats coming together and playing for something bigger than themselves," Ein concluded.
2017 Confirmed Players:
- Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D- OH)
- Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL)
- Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
- Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA)
- Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA)
- Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN)
- Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-KS)
- Brett Baier, Fox News
- David Gregory, CNN
- Jonathan Karl, ABC
- Albert Tilman, Bloomberg
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, July 27, 2017
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Doors open to the public at 5:15pm, opening ceremonies begin at 7:00pm
Location: Kastles Court at GW Smith Center
600 22nd St NW, Washington, DC 20052
Tickets: General admission tickets start at just $10
Available for sale on ticketmaster.com
About the Washington Kastles:
Founded in 2008 by local entrepreneur Mark Ein, the Washington Kastles have six Mylan World TeamTennis titles including five straight from 2011-2015. In 2011 and 2012, they completed the only perfect seasons in the league's 41-year history. In 2013, Washington extended its winning streak to 34 matches, setting a new major U.S. pro sports record. The team's mission is to bring the D.C. community together, make tennis accessible to everyone in the Greater Washington area and actively support local charitable partners. To that end, the Kastles provide grants, ticket or racquet donations to nearly 200 charitable, military and civic organizations each year and have made over $1.3 million of these donations since its founding nine years ago.
Learn more about the team by visiting WashingtonKastles.com.
SOURCE Washington Kastles
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