LOS ANGELES – The 13th annual Billie Jean King and Friends Event will be held on Sept. 25, 2010, at the Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena. The public is invited to the popular event.
The special guest of honor this year will be a two-time Olympian and the 1960 gold medalist in the decathlon, Rafer Johnson, who will receive the 2010 Joe Shapiro Humanitarian Award. Johnson has improved the lives of many afflicted with disabilities. He was one of the founding members of the Special Olympics in Southern California and has been active in that organization for more than 40 years. The Rafer Johnson Children’s Center in Bakersfield was named in Rafer’s honor and provides classes for special education students from the ages of Birth-5.
A versatile athlete who played football, baseball and basketball in high school, Johnson was attracted to the decathlon after seeing two-time Olympic Champion Bob Mathias compete. He competed in his first decathlon in 1954 as a freshman at UCLA and he broke the world record in the decathlon in just his fourth competition that year. Johnson won a silver medal in the 1956 Olympics and then won the gold medal in the 1960.
In 1994, he was elected (along with Arthur Ashe) into the first class of the World Sporst Humanitarian Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was named one of ESPN’s 100 Greatest North American Athletes of the 20th Century and in 2006 he was named one of the 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes of the past 100 years by the NCAA.
The event is the major fund-raiser for the athletic department with proceeds benefiting the student-athlete scholarship fund at Cal State L.A. Billie Jean King is one of Cal State L.A.’s most famous alumna and this event has generated more than $1.8 million in proceeds directed toward scholarships.
The Shapiro Award is presented in memory of Joe Shapiro, who was a member of the Billie Jean King Executive Committee and who worked enthusiastically to assist student-athletes in reaching their educational and athletic goals. The Shapiro Award is given annually to an individual whose work and service to the community promote a positive and lasting impact. Past recipients have included King, Maxine Waters, Chris Evert, Dr. Sally Ride, Chris Evert, Patricia Cornwell, Maria Shriver, Anne Douglas and last year’s winner, Frank Deford.
Shapiro was also a teacher at Cal State L.A. and the husband of tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver.
Tennis analyst Mary Carillo will once again serve as the celebrity Master of Ceremonies.
There are several sponsorship opportunities still available for this popular event. For more information about these opportunities, call (323) 343-3080.
Billie Jean King Information Brochure
The Title Sponsorship …. $50,000
Benefits:
- Title sponsor recognition on all marketing/promotional materials produced and distributed for the dinner
- Title sponsor recognition on the CSULA Athletics web site
- Two deluxe rooms and one night stay at the Langham Hotel and Spa on Sept. 25, 2010
- Ten reception invitations and one VIP table for ten at the fundraising dinner
- Two invitations to join Billie Jean King at the U.S. Open in her personal suite on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010
- Two box seats at the U.S. Open on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 at Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louie Armstrong Stadium
Presenting Partner …. $25,000
Benefits:
- 10 cocktail reception invitations and a reserved table for 10 at the 2010 Billie Jean King & Friends Dinner & Auction Gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena on Sept. 25, 2010
- A full-page ad in the dinner program
- Sign recognition in the reception and dinner areas
- Four luxury suite tickets for the 2011 BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells to include in-suite food and bar service for day session
- Opportunity to meet Billie Jean King and other distinguished honorees
Wimbledon Partner …. $10,000
Benefits:
- 10 cocktail reception invitations and a reserved table for 10 at the 2010 Billie Jean King & Friends Dinner & Auction Gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena on Sept. 25, 2010
- A full-page ad in the dinner program.
- Sign recognition in the reception and dinner areas.
- Two luxury suite tickets for the 2011 BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells to include in-suite food and beverage for the day session.
- Opportunity to meet Billie Jean King and other distinguished honorees.
Billie Jean King Partner …. $5,000
Benefits:
- 10 cocktail reception invitations and a reserved table for 10 at the 2010 Billie Jean King & Friends Dinner & Auction Gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena on Sept. 25, 2010
- A full-page ad in the dinner program
- Sign recognition in the reception and dinner areas
- Opportunity to meet Billie Jean King and other distinguished honorees.
Legends Partner …. $2,500
Benefits:
- 10 cocktail reception invitations and a reserved table for 10 at the 2010 Billie Jean King & Friends Dinner & Auction Gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena on Sept. 25, 2010
- Legends Partner listing in the dinner program
- Sign recognition in the reception and dinner areas
- One-half page ad in the dinner program
Table Partner …. $2,000
Benefit:
- A reserved table of 10 at the 2010 Billie Jean King & Friends Dinner & Auction gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena on Sept. 25, 2010
For more information about the event and sponsorship information, please call (343) 323-3080
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Billie Jean King and Friends, Presenting The Joe Shapiro Award event is to enhance the student-athlete scholarship program for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics at Cal State L.A. Event proceeds support current scholarships and provide long-term stability for the Billie Jean King and Joe Shapiro scholarship endowments.
Last year, the Billie Jean King and Friends event enjoyed another tremendous response. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of Billie Jean King and CSULA, the event continues to move closer to its goal of fully endowing both scholarships.
BILLIE JEAN KING & FRIENDS
The Billie Jean King and Friends, Presenting The Joe Shapiro Award event is now in its 13th year and has raised more than $2 million for the Athletic Scholarship Program at Cal State L.A. Billie Jean attended Cal State L.A. from 1961-64 and played on Coach Joan Johnson’s team that was No. 1 in the Southern California Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis League.
Billie Jean King is one of the most influential and respected woman of the 21st century and has been instrumental in raising awareness for social justice, change and equality. Billie Jean has been at the forefront for many women’s movements and is very well known for spearheading the fight for equal prize money in women’s tennis during the 1970s. She put women’s tennis on the map with her landmark “Battle of the Sexes” victory at the Houston Astrodome in 1973 against Bobby Riggs before a record 50 million viewers on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. She was also responsible for establishing the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Women’s Tennis Association as well as championing Title IX.
Billie Jean is a true legend and continues to create new inroads for women both in business and in the sports world. Life Magazine named her one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” and she ranked fifth on Sports Illustrated’s “Top 40 Athletes” for her incredible ability to enhance and elevate sports over the last four decades. Billie Jean’s commitment to CSULA has made it possible for hundreds of men and women to pursue a quality education and compete in college sports through her support of the CSULA Athletic Scholarship Program.