“The Tennis Moguls,” a three-
year program that will provide free summer tennis clinics and more than 1,400
hours of personal lessons to children registered with Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Metropolitan Detroit, was introduced today during a press conference and
tennis exhibition at Federal-Mogul Corporation (NYSE: FMO) World Headquarters.
Federal-Mogul, a corporate partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters, will
underwrite the cost of the program and build three public tennis courts over
the next three years in the Metro Detroit area, said Dick Snell, the company’s
chairman and chief executive officer.
“Our partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters has become an ideal way for
Federal-Mogul to play a proactive role in enhancing the lives of hundreds of
area children,” Snell told an audience of media representatives, area tennis
professionals and more than 50 kids enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters
mentoring programs. “The Tennis Moguls will help an important community of
young people develop skills they can share with friends and family members.
More importantly, tennis is a great way for the ‘bigs’ and ‘littles’ of Big
Brothers Big Sisters to spend more time together.”
Snell, a national board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, was
joined in the announcement by 1996 Wimbledon Championships finalist MaliVai
Washington and retired National Football League player Lynn Swann.
Washington, the winner of four ATP Tour events and three-time member of the
U.S. Davis Cup team, will be keynote speaker at the annual dinner and auction
for Big Brother Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit tonight at the Ritz-
Carlton, Dearborn.
Swann, former star wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a sports
analyst for the ABC television network, serves on the national board of
directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, was president from 1993-1995
and is their national spokesman.
Created with the assistance of the United States Tennis Association, The
Tennis Moguls program will offer four free local summer clinics each year for
children registered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and up to six one-hour
tennis lessons per child. Each child participating in a clinic also will
receive a free t-shirt, tennis racquet and set of tennis balls.
In addition to underwriting all tennis instruction offered through the
program, Federal-Mogul will build three public tennis courts, complete with
perimeter fencing, as part of its commitment to The Tennis Moguls. The
location of the first court will be announced during tonight’s Big Brothers
Big Sisters Celebrity dinner in Dearborn.
“Learning to play tennis can bring a lifetime of enjoyment,” Snell said.
“It’s a low-cost, low-entry sport that can help kids and adults alike feel
better about themselves and enhance their physical fitness. We’re thrilled to
be able to bring these benefits to the young people involved in Big Brothers
Big Sisters and to the citizens who will enjoy the area’s newest public tennis
facility.”
Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Federal-Mogul is an automotive
parts manufacturer providing innovative solutions and systems to global
customers in the automotive, small engine, heavy-duty and industrial markets.
The company was founded in 1899. Visit the company’s web site at
http://www.federal-mogul.com for more information.
