Blood, Sweat & Tears To Perform At Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic Annual Gala November 10
November 20, 2016; Delray Beach, FL;
Jon Lovitz, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Timothy Olyphant, Carson Kressley
Newly Added Tennis Pros include the legendary John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Rennae Stubbs, Jesse Levine and former tennis pro and actress Maeve Quinlan
BOCA RATON, FL – Chris Evert Charities is “So Very Happy” that Grammy award winning jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears (BS&T) will be the performers for the 29th Annual Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Gala Dinner Dance on Saturday, November 10 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.
It’s been five decades since drummer/producer Bobby Colomby and friends assembled the first group to successfully blend rock and jazz into a genre-crossing sound and style. So successfully in fact, that the band’s second album, Blood, Sweat & Tears, topped the Billboard charts for many weeks and beat out the Beatles’ Abbey Road for the prestigious Album of the Year Grammy award. That album produced three major hit singles: “You Made Me So Very Happy,” “Spinning Wheel,” and “And When I Die.” BS&T was the first All Star Band and has delivered since 1969 to today. The current line-up is sure to prove the critics right that BS&T is one of the greatest touring bands out there today.
The elegant black-tie Gala Dinner Dance on November 10, which begins at 6:00 PM, includes cocktails, dinner, dancing, live and silent auctions. Tickets are $750 per person and can be purchased at www.chrisevert.org/tickets/.
During the Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic four tennis pros will join the already announced participants including 7-time Grand Slam singles champion John McEnroe. McEnroe has won the US Open 8 times, Wimbledon 3 times and has won 77 ATP World Tour singles titles & 71 doubles. Between 1982-84 he was ranked No.1 and had a 39-match win streak.
John McEnroe’s brother, Patrick McEnroe, will join him on the courts. Patrick, a former ATP pro, won the French Open doubles title in 1989, reaching an ATP World Tour doubles career-high of No. 3 in 1993 and playing on three US Davis Cup teams (’93, ’94, ’96). He currently serves as a tennis analyst, play-by-play caller and studio host for ESPN’s tennis telecasts.
WTA doubles record-setter and four-time Olympian Rennae Stubbs returns to this year’s event and has been one of the most loyal supporters. Stubbs is a six-time Grand Slam winner (four doubles, two mixed doubles) and chalked up 60 WTA titles over a 23-year career.
Jesse Levine also returns to the event. The Ottawa-born lefty, and current Boca Raton resident represented the US in Davis Cup competition (2007–2012) before becoming eligible to play for Canada in 2013. Levine put together a 24-1 freshman-record All-American season (2006-07) at the University of Florida where he was named National Rookie of the Year.
Maeve Quinlan, a long-time supporter of the event is also returning. Quinlan, a former WTA player is an actress with many credits to her name, most notably her 11 year-run on The Bold and the Beautiful as Megan Conley and on the hit teen drama South of Nowhere.
In addition to the Gala, there is an exclusive Pro-Am as well as a Classic Cocktail Party for VIP’s and Sponsors on Friday (Nov, 9) poolside at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. The three-day charity event also includes two days of celebrity tennis (Nov 10 & 11) at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.
Chris Evert’s fundraising efforts began in 1989 following her retirement from professional tennis and has raised more than $24 million to date, including $800,000 in 2017.The monies raised are distributed to programs funded through the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida and the Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm Beach County.
Sponsors of the Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic include title sponsor Raymond James and platinum sponsors Boca Raton Resort and Club, Carls Patio, City of Delray Beach, Kool 105.5, ISG Graphics, JM Lexus, Merle Wood & Associates, News Radio 1290 WJNO, Printzilla, Real Radio 94.3, Rolex, Ruth’s Chris Steak House Boca Raton, Swiss International Air Lines, Ultimate Software and Wild 95.5. Gold sponsors include Atlas Party Rental, Clive Daniel, Lido Bay Wine, Pacari, Soneva Resort, Travelhost of Palm Beach and Wyndham hotels (Boca Raton and Deerfield).
Tickets for this year’s event are now on sale and range in price from a $20 General Admission ticket to a $900 Skyview Box. Purchase tickets online at www.chrisevert.org/tickets/ or call 561-394-2400.
About Chris Evert Charities:
Since 1989, Chris Evert Charities has raised more than $24 million in an ongoing campaign to provide a bright future for Florida’s most at-risk children. With the help of loyal and generous sponsors, participating celebrities, legions of volunteers and a dedicated staff, Chris Evert continues to raise monies to fund programs through the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida. This multi-day event features a day of Tennis with Chrissie & Friends at the Pro-Am, back-to-back days of Pro-Celebrity Tennis and the annual Gala, an elegant evening of entertainment, dining and dancing at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. The event is one of South Florida’s longest-running charity events hosted by a former professional athlete. For more information, visit www.chrisevert.org.
CELEBRITIES PARTICIPATING IN THE 29TH ANNUAL EVENT:
Actors/Actresses: Chris Noth (Sex & the City), January Jones (Mad Men), Shawn Hatosy
(Animal Kingdom), Tate Donovan (The Man in The High Castle) and Jamie McShane (Bloodline) Maeve Quinlan (The Bold and the Beautiful)
Musicians: Seal (“Kiss from a Rose”), David Cook (American Idol)
Comedians/TV Celebrities: Carson Kressley (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy), Jon Lovitz (Saturday Night Live)
Tennis Pros: Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Jesse Levine, Rennae Stubbs
