Tennis legend Andre Agassi joins the fight against breast cancer in the 4th annual Kennedy Funding Invitational

Event to be held July 8-12 at Dellwood Country Club in New City, NY

HACKENSACK, NJ, March 31, 2009 - Combine the excitement and competition of world-class tennis with the fight against breast cancer and what do you have? The Kennedy Funding Invitational—an annual tournament that has contributed millions of dollars for this most worthy cause. Now in its fourth year, The Kennedy Funding Invitational will be held once again at Dellwood Country Club in New City, NY between July 8-12 and promises to be even bigger and better than ever.

For five days each summer, up-and-coming tennis professionals share the courts with some of the sport's greatest living legends, all with the goal of improving the diagnostic capabilities and care at two outstanding breast care centers in Englewood, NJ and Nyack, NY.

In addition to fierce competition between world-class tennis players, the celebrity exhibition match has become a traditional highlight of the five-day event. Past celebrity participants have included legendary former champions Pete Sampras and John McEnroe. This year, orga

nizers are proud to have one of the all time tennis greats, Andre Agassi join the cause, playing in the exhibition match and appearing at various events throughout the tournament.

Known for his aggressive play and flamboyant style, Agassi was a favorite among fans and players throughout his 20-year career, winning an Olympic Gold Medal and a total of 68 titles. He is one of only five male players to have won all four Grand Slam singles titles and the only men's player to have won all four Grand Slam singles titles on three different surfaces. He was ranked the Number 1 player in the world during both 1995 and 1999 and consistently ranked among the top 10 throughout his career. Now retired from competition, he is extremely active in supporting charity and philanthropic causes.

At The Kennedy Funding Invitational, Agassi will play local favorite Justin Gimelstob, a well-known retired tennis professional and previous winner of the Australian Open and French Open Doubles titles with partner Venus Williams. An exceptional teen player, Gimelstob was ranked #1 in the USTA Boys' 14 age group and again at age 16. He won the USTA National Boys' 18 Championship in 1995 and turned pro in 1996. He ranked as high as #63 in singles competition, having beaten #5 Patrick Rafter, #9 Alex Correfja and many other highly ranked players. In doubles, his ranking rose as high as #18. Justin has been involved with The Kennedy Funding Invitational since its beginning.

It began with a simple, but sincere idea. In 2006, Leslie Simon lost her battle with breast cancer. Family friends Kevin Wolfer (Co-CEO of Kennedy Funding), James Miller and Mitch Klein organized The Kennedy Funding Invitational in her honor and memory. They enlisted the support of numerous business and personal contacts with the goal of raising awareness—and much-needed funding—to fight this horrible disease. That inaugural tournament raised over $250,000 during four days at Dellwood Country Club in New City, NY in July of 2006.

The word began to spread. The following year, additional group and individual sponsors joined in. A new Women's Tournament was added. Hard work, perseverance (and countless phone calls) secured one of tennis' all-time greats—Pete Sampras—to take part in a celebrity exhibition match. The second annual event was an enormous success—raising more than $625,000, which was donated to the two breast care centers.

There was no turning back. With the legendary John McEnroe signed on, the goal for the 2008 Kennedy Funding Invitational was to raise $1 million to battle breast cancer. The ever-growing team of supporters succeeded—raising an incredible $1,125,000 in just the third year of the tournament. The event had grown to more impressive status than ever. A list of top-ranked players competed for over $250,000 in prize money. And sponsorship had grown to new levels.

The Kennedy Funding Invitational has grown exponentially to become one of the premier charitable tennis events in the nation. In just its first three years, the tournament has donated more than $2 million to the renamed Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center at Englewood Hospital and the Breast Center at Nyack Hospital.

"We began the Invitational as a way of honoring Leslie and to increase awareness in this important cause," remarks Kevin Wolfer. "We're absolutely thrilled at the way it's continued to grow each year, thanks to the generous support of everyone involved. Not everyone realizes the amount of work that goes in—there's a Board of Directors that meets throughout the year, planning and implementing every last detail and a Board of Trustees that involves more than 40 dedicated members."

The hospitals also appreciate the efforts. Dr. Miguel Sanchez, Medical Director at The Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center at Englewood Hospital notes, "The fight against breast cancer is such an important one. And technology plays an important role. Thanks, in part, to The Kennedy Funding Invitational, the Breast Center at Englewood Hospital now has one of the only MRI machines in the world dedicated to breast imaging. By being able to diagnose breast cancer earlier, we can treat the disease more effectively and dramatically improve the prognosis for patients."

Dr. Michele Blackwood, Director, Breast and Women's Health Prevention Services at Nyack Hospital, agrees, "Technology is advancing at the speed of light, and the prognosis for women with breast cancer is brighter than ever before. Because of the generous funding we've received, we're keeping pace with progress by offering the most current breast screening and diagnostic methods available, a wide range of state-of-the-art medical, radiation and surgical treatment options and a multidisciplinary team approach to care that addresses every woman's disease individually."

This July 8-12, The Kennedy Funding Invitational will once again take over Dellwood Country Club, the beautiful setting that has played host to all of the tournaments. No tickets are required for main tournament matches—attendance is free, but on a first come, first served basis. A limited number of tickets are for sale for the Andre Agassi celebrity match. Situated against a magnificent backdrop of rolling hills and greens in New City, NY, Dellwood boasts 12 Har-Tru® tennis courts, an 18-hole, par 71 Tillinghast-designed golf course, exceptional banquet facilities and much more.

For more information about becoming a sponsor, or attending the events, click here or call Mitch Klein at 845.634.4674 or Kevin Wolfer at 800.342.8500.