Celebrity tennis challenge at the Rogers Cup

Sixteen celebrities will take to the courts on Thursday, Aug. 10, for the Celebrity Tennis Challenge, making the Rexall Centre at York University the place to be for more than just tennis fans. The celebrity challenge is affiliated with the Rogers Cup and will raise funds to benefit floor-tennis athletics programs in schools in the Greater Toronto Area.


Music, entertainment, food and media superstars, as well as superstar athletes, will be competing against each other to benefit the program, which offers young children from low-income families the chance to learn to play tennis.


The 16 competing celebs will engage in a round robin consisting of four 20-minute doubles at a time. All matches will take place on the four practice courts to the east of the Centre of Excellence. The celebrity players include Jake Gold (Canadian Idol judge); musician Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo; world-renowned chef Susur Lee; broadcasters Holly Horton, Nick Kypreos and Gord Martineau; MPP George Smitherman; and a host of tennis stars. Fans who purchase day session tickets for the Rogers Cup will be entitled to watch the exciting action and maybe score a few autographs.


Driftwood Public School, Driftwood Community Centre and Shoreham Public School are among the 16 schools and community centres to receive funds from the celebrity challenge.


Visit the Rogers Cup Web site for more information on the challenge.