Mercury Insurance Open Looking for Volunteers

CARLSBAD, Calif., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2010 Mercury Insurance Open, scheduled from July 31 to Aug. 8 at the La Costa Resort and Spa, has issued a call for tournament volunteers.

The women's professional tennis tournament has returned to San Diego County after a two-year hiatus and volunteers are needed to help welcome back the best women tennis professionals in the world. A variety of volunteer positions are now available.

Volunteers are needed to work in the following areas during the tournament: Guest Services; Tickets and Gates; Ushers and Media Center. Local residents familiar with the area are also needed to serve as volunteer drivers in Tournament Transportation. Training for each position will be provided.

"The tournament is quickly approaching and we are looking for energetic volunteers to help make this a successful event at the La Costa Resort and Spa this summer," said Raquel Giscafre, Mercury Insurance Open tournament director. "Being a volunteer is a great way to become part of our team and to get involved in a community event."

If there is a common thread among many of the professional tennis tournaments around the world, it is the importance of having a strong core of dedicated volunteers to help make an event successful.

"It would not be possible to have a tournament like the Mercury Insurance Open without the help of volunteers," Giscafre said. "In the past, we have been very fortunate to have a great group of volunteers and we hope to continue the tradition this year."

Tournament volunteers should be at least 18 years of age and able to work a minimum of four shifts during the event. A shift is approximately five hours. Volunteers will receive a uniform consisting of a tournament shirt and sweatshirt. They will also receive one meal per shift worked.

"Volunteers are our lifeline," said Gail De Weese, a Carlsbad resident who serves as the Mercury Insurance Open Director of Volunteers. "Their contribution to the tournament is invaluable."

According to De Weese, volunteering at the tournament is a very rewarding experience for those involved. "There are so many benefits of being a volunteer at this event," she said. "You get to meet new people and spend the week in a great environment at the La Costa Resort and Spa as well as being part of a special event."

De Weese said tennis experience or knowledge of tennis is not required to be a volunteer, only a desire to help fans, players and officials have a more enjoyable tournament experience.

Anyone interested in being a volunteer at the 2010 Mercury Insurance Open should fill out a volunteer application form which is available under the "Volunteers" tab at mercuryinsuranceopen.com. For more information, call (760) 930-7031.

The tournament is a Premier 700 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event offering $700,000 in prize money. It will be televised on the Tennis Channel and ESPN 2 and will comprise one of the 10 events of the Olympus U.S. Open Series.

Players entered in the 2010 Mercury Insurance Open include, Ana Ivanovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dinara Safina and Daniela Hantuchova.

Mercury Insurance Group, title sponsor of the Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, is offering tennis fans the once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a trip to the 2010 U.S. Open.  Contestants can register to win a package that includes airfare, hotel and VIP tickets to the Open by visiting www.mercuryinsurance.com/tennis.  No purchase is necessary to enter or win.  You must be a legal California resident 18 years of age or older with a valid driver's license to participate in the sweepstakes.

About Mercury Insurance: Founded in 1962, Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization offering predominantly personal automobile and homeowners insurance through a network of independent agents and brokers in California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, New York, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Virginia and Pennsylvania. For more information about Mercury Insurance, visit www.mercuryinsurance.com.

About Tri-City Medical Center: Founded in 1957 to serve the healthcare needs of coastal North San Diego County, Tri-City Medical Center is a full-service, acute care hospital with (500) physicians practicing in 60 specialties. The Medical Center is administered by the Tri-City Healthcare District, which includes most of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista. For more information about Tri-City Medical Center, please visit www.tricitymed.org.

About the USTA: Now in its seventh season, the Olympus U.S. Open Series has established itself as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the U.S. Open. Fans can follow the action with nearly 200 hours of live television coverage, culminating each week with back-to-back men's and women's finals every Sunday afternoon. Players battle for more than $37 million and a chance for bonus prize money at the U.S. Open. In 2008, Olympus became the first title sponsor of the Series. The Olympus U.S. Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Evian and Grand Marnier.

Sam Querrey won the 2009 Olympus U.S. Open Series men's title and Elena Dementieva won the women's title. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history—$2.4 million—for winning the U.S. Open and the Olympus U.S. Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters captured both the U.S. Open and the Olympus U.S. Open Series, winning $2.2 million—the largest purse in women's sports history.

About Octagon Tennis: Octagon has a rich and proud history in the sport of tennis, having managed the careers of 63 Grand Slam Champions and 11 Olympic gold medalists over three decades. In addition, Octagon owns or manages more professional tennis events than any other agency with WTA and ATP events including the Kremlin Cup, Brasil Open, the Movistar Open and the Western & Southern Financial Group Championships, which is also part of the Olympus U.S. Open Series, among others. For more information, please visit www.octagontennis.com.

SOURCE Mercury Insurance