NEW YORK—At a consumer charity event outside World Financial Center on Friday, tennis star James Blake received a $10,000 open check donation to his Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Cancer Research Fund from Heineken Premium Light.
A custom tennis court was set up for the day. The outdoor plaza was especially breezy near the Hudson River. Blake had a tournament with a Heineken Premium Light DraughtKeg—an oversized ball machine on the other side of the net, drawing lots of excitement and attention.
The special 6 foot tall ball machine raised interest among the crowd. Everyone over the age of 21 was encouraged to go on the court and try to return a few professional serves from the “DraughtKeg”. A long line was formed behind the court with tennis lovers. Players had a chance to win prizes including, US Open tickets, while everyone at the event got a US Open hat.
For 17 years, Heineken USA has been sponsoring the US Open Series, a six-week summer tennis season. To further enhance the sponsorship, Heineken developed a multi-faceted relationship with Blake.
“We’re excited about our relationship with James Blake – he’s a world-class athlete who exudes class and sportsmanship both on and off the court,” said Brian Citron, senior brand director of Heineken.
Brian Citron together with Christian McMahan, Chief Marketing Officer of Heineken, presented the enlarged check to Blake on the tennis court.
“I am very happy Heineken made this donation. I feel we are doing very well towards our goal of 1 million dollars by this time next year to help with the early detection of cancer research,” said Blake.
Since the Fund’s establishment in July, Blake has been continuously raising money through various activities, and hopes for expansion and greater influence.
“It [the Fund] is something that means so much more than the wins or losses in my career. It affects and causes changes on others. I am very excited about that and I am proud to do something with my career more than just win,” said Blake.
