Sampras Supports the "2 Brothers, 2 Coasts, 1 Cause" Crusade
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23, 2008 — For the first time in history, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Southern California Chapter partnered up with OJAKIAN TENNIS creating the OJAKIAN TENNIS Celebrity Pro–Am to End MS charity event to be held on Friday, October 10 and Saturday, October 11, 2008 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on the UCLA Campus. Influential celebrities and tennis professionals will participate in this life-transforming event of movement and fun, to raise money to help families affected by MS.
Schedule:
Friday – Red Carpet arrival to the Welcome Party and Live Auction where tennis lovers bid to play with one of the pros and celebrities.
Saturday – Junior and Adult Tennis Clinics, followed by the official OJAKIAN TENNIS Celebrity Pro-Am to End MS tournament.
Famous faces attending: Matthew Perry, Doug Savant, Esai Morales, Don Diamont, Chelsea Handler & Chuy Bravo, Alan Thicke, Cristian de la Fuente, among many others. The tennis legends playing: Tracy Austin, Todd Martin, Lindsay Davenport, Pam Shriver, Scott Davis, Alex O'Brien, Phil Dent, Bill Scanlon, and Elliot Teltscher.
2 Brothers, 2 Coasts, 1 Cause
This event was developed by Chris Ojakian, OJAKIAN TENNIS founder, tennis Master Professional, and committed MS eradicator, to raise funds to help families with this debilitating disease. His family is greatly affected by multiple sclerosis; his father, brother, and sister have the disease.
"Every morning when I wake up to teach tennis, I know I am blessed because I know what it was like to watch my older sister, brother and father go through each day with pain, depression, not being able to walk, and other mental and physical difficulties that are caused by multiple sclerosis. Nobody should have to go through that. Nobody. My brother Mark and I are committed to using our moving power to help families like ours who have been affected by MS."
First OJAKIAN TENNIS Celebrity Pro-Am to End MS Challenge: Sampras Supports 2 Brothers, 2 Coasts, 1 Cause
Chris Ojakian joined efforts with his brother Mark, organizing bi-coastal fundraising charity events: 2 Brothers, 2 Coasts, 1 Cause. In addition to the Celebrity Pro-Am, Mark Ojakian will host a gala dinner in Connecticut. All proceeds from both events will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Tennis superstar Pete Sampras is supporting the Ojakian brothers in their crusade to help families with MS by donating a one-hour private lesson for the silent auction.
Culminating these two days of tennis, an Awards Dinner and Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, October 11th. Every year the Ojakian Tennis Celebrity Pro-Am to End MS will present the first "Power of Performance Award" awarding an individual who has made an impact in society by facing the challenge of living with MS. This year's honoree will be John Austin, Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Champion, who has been an invigorating ambassador for the game of tennis while enduring the debilitating effects of MS. Visit http://www.ojakiantennis.com today to buy tickets, volunteer or make a donation.
To book an interview with Chris Ojakian, please contact: Iran Daniel at 310.770.1918 or email at Email
About Chris Ojakian & Ojakian Tennis
Chris Ojakian has been a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association since 1990, and was ranked 14 nationally in doubles. For twelve years, Chris was the Tennis Director at Farm Neck on Martha's Vineyard, and also worked at the five-star Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. With 17 years of teaching experience, he founded OJAKIAN TENNIS, an elite company based in Los Angeles providing the best instruction in Southern California with its team of certified USPTA world-class tennis professionals. OJAKIAN TENNIS has one of the most popular Cardio Tennis programs in Los Angeles featured in national television shows for E! Entertainment, FOX, and Telemundo.
About Multiple Sclerosis and the National MS Society
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body stopping people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system with symptoms like numbness, tingling, blindness and paralysis. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide. In 2007, the Society devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives, and also invested over $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. Join the movement at http://www.nationalMSsociety.org.
# # #