Atlantic Ave Magazine - April 2017

Participants of ECTF/USta Florida Kidz
Day pose for a picture post clinic
photo by Hal Goldman
The tournament’s “Delray Beach Open
Cares” program continued to provide for
the community, collecting over 2,500 lbs.
of canned food donations at the Food Drive
sponsored by Champion Porsche and benefiting
the Community Food Pantry, hosting
a complimentary clinic for 20 Aceing Autism
participants during championships weekend
and partnering with American Cancer Society
to raise funds and program awareness
during Presidents’ Day weekend, including
playing the final day of ATP Champions Tour
matches with pink tennis balls.
This year’s Open also featured a variety
of social events and entertainment with
world-class tennis serving as the perfect
backdrop for guests to mix and mingle and
enjoy featured cuisine from Delray eateries
and exclusive wine tastings in the VIP Clubhouse
Lounge provided by Copper Cane
Wines and Provisions.
Between matches, tournament guests
enjoyed local music acts performing original
works on the live music stage hosted by
Delray Beach’s own Ian Caven and works of
art from two local artists who were commissioned
by the Open to create an installation
at the front entrance of the tournament, as
well as a mural within the tournament gates.
West Palm Beach muralist, Eduardo
Mendieta was tasked with creating an abstract
design that depicts both the rich history
of tennis and the seaside lifestyle that
is ever-present in Delray Beach. With this
in mind, Mendieta painted a mural incorporating
the swing of a tennis serve into rolling
waves of the ocean. Boca Raton-based
artist, Agata Ren, incorporated a real tennis
net into her installation at the entrance of
the tournament and weaved yellow fabric
through the net to spell out the words, “Delray
Beach Open,” paired with bright blue and
pink sails serving as a backdrop and providing
a vibrant and colorful welcome for tournament
attendees.
Tennis stars weren’t the only athletes in
the mix this year. Florida Panther defenseman
and Canada native Jason Demers attended
the Delray Beach Open and Panther’s
Mascot Stanley the Panther was on-site for
photo-ops and giveaways. The Washington
Nationals NatMobile and promotional team
were also on-site promoting the MLB team’s
Kevin Anderson (RSA), winner of the Delray Beach Open’s
4th Annual Beach Olympics poses with Bjorn Fratangelo (USA)
Spring Training games in its new Ballpark of
the Palm Beaches facility in West Palm Beach.
The 2017 Delray Beach Open sponsors
included the City of Delray Beach as
the Title Sponsor and Champion Porsche
as the tournament’s official Auto Sponsor;
Diamond Sponsors: the Delray Beach
CRA, Boca Raton Resort & Club, Emirates,
Silversea and Outfront Media; Platinum
Sponsors: Delray Garden Center, Embassy
Suites, Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours and
Wyndham Boca Raton; Gold Sponsors: The
Buzz Agency, Campus Customs, Coca-Cola,
Curtain Bluff, ESPN West Palm, Fairfield Inn
& Suites- Marriott, Lucky in Love, Outside
the Ball, Discover The Palm Beaches, Palm-
BeachSports.com, Plexipave, Unique Travel
of Palm Beach Inc., USTA, USTA Florida, VIP
Caterers and Woo Creative.
The 2018 Delray Beach Open is already
set on the ATP World Tour calendar for February
16-25 at the Delray Beach Stadium &
Tennis Center on beautiful Atlantic Avenue
in Delray Beach, Florida.
www.AtlanticAveMagazine.com | April 2017 73