-
A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
21-79
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
June 30, 2015
To recognize and honor the Citi Open Tennis Tournament as it celebrates its 47th annual event and to declare August 1 through August 9, 2015, as “Tennis Week” in the District of Columbia.
WHEREAS, the Washington, D.C. tennis tournament, now known as the Citi Open Tennis Tournament, celebrates its 47th year as the Capital Tennis Tradition;
WHEREAS, the Citi Open Tennis Tournament was founded in 1969 by tennis legend and Hall of Famer Donald Dell, along with partner John Harris and with support from Arthur Ashe;
WHEREAS, Arthur Ashe declared he would only play in a naturally integrated neighborhood so everyone could enjoy the sport, leading to its location on 16th and Kennedy Streets, N.W., in Rock Creek Park;
WHEREAS, in 1972, Donald Dell gave the tournament charter to the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (then called the Washington Area Tennis Patrons Foundation), raising funds to benefit nearly 1,500 low-income and underserved children from across Washington, D.C. each year;
WHEREAS, the Citi Open Tennis Tournament draws the best players in the world, making Washington, D.C., a global tennis destination, seen on television screens in 182 countries; and
WHEREAS, a 2014 economic impact study found that the estimated total gross impact of the Citi Open Tennis Tournament on the Washington, D.C. metropolitan regional economy in a given year is more than $26 million.
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the Council of the District of Columbia acknowledges and honors the Citi Open Tennis Tournament and the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation for hosting a world-class sporting event, bringing exceptional annual economic impact to the District of Columbia, and contributing millions of dollars to low-income and underserved youth from across the city, and declares August 1 through August 9, 2015, as “Tennis Week” in the District of Columbia.
Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the “Citi Open Tennis Week Recognition Resolution of 2015”.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
