Host Evan Golden hit the courts and caught up with Chris Evert and the multitude of celebs that came out for the cause. The Chris Evert Raymond James Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic is hosted annually to raise funds for charities in Florida. To date they’ve raised over $21.9 million thanks to donors like you.
How It All Began
Chris retired from Professional Tennis in September 1989, after her final match in the U.S. Open. One month later, Chrissie was back on the tennis court hosting the first Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic in Boca Raton, Florida. The first fundraiser for Chris Evert Charities drew widespread attention in the international press. It was proclaimed the most successful, first-year benefit in tennis history. The 1989 event raised more than $350,000 before a sold-out crowd and a national television audience.
“While tennis has been my profession, helping needy children has been my passion. For almost a decade it has been my pleasure to work in partnership with The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida to help hundreds of substance-abusing moms get the help they need to give their children a good start in life.”
—Chris Evert
Chrissie met with Governor Martinez and HRS Secretary Greg Coler in Tallahassee. It was decided that other programs in the state could benefit from Evert’s superb fundraising abilities.
She joined forces with The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, a public/private partnership, established in 1988, with a similar vision as Chrissie’s.The Ounce is committed to a proactive approach to the prevention of family and social problems such as substance abuse by pregnant and parenting women.
With these forces united, they agreed to a new fund matching program with the state of Florida. Governor Martinez pledged to match, dollar for dollar, all funds that Chris Evert gave to The Ounce, automatically doubling Chris’ efforts for 1990 and all years following.
