A TRIUMPH OVER BREAST CANCER BENEFIT AND AUCTION FUNDRAISER SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AUGUST 5 AT MERCURY INSURANCE OPEN

Carlsbad, Calif. (July 27, 2010) ­– A Triumph Over Breast Cancer Benefit and Auction will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 5 at the Mercury Insurance Open Presented By Tri-City Medical Center, which is being played from July 31 to Aug. 8 at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

The benefit and auction is being hosted by the Tri-City Hospital Foundation with proceeds funding state-of-the-art biopsy equipment in the Edgar and Jo Anne Jones Women’s Diagnostic Center at the hospital. The new equipment will provide the most advanced technology for minimally-invasive, highly accurate breast biopsies and will allow Tri-City Medical Center to bring the treatment of breast cancer to a new level.

Tennis legend Pam Shriver will serve as emcee and auctioneer for the evening, which will feature a cocktail reception, live and silent auctions, celebrity guests and top female tennis players. Attendees at the benefit will also receive reserved seating for the night session tennis matches that will follow at 7 p.m.

“Tri-City Medical Center is committed to providing the most advanced treatment of breast cancer to the women of our community,” said Larry Anderson, CEO, Tri-City Medical Center. “The pinpoint accuracy of this system will allow our physicians to find and treat cancer in the earliest, most treatable stages. The money we raise from this event will truly help us triumph over breast cancer.”

Breast cancer is a very prevalent disease that takes the lives of nearly 400,000 women in the U.S. each year, but advanced technology and earlier detection screenings are making a difference and death rates have been decreasing since the ‘90s.

“The Mercury Insurance Open is proud to be a part of this very worthwhile cause,” said Raquel Giscafre, Mercury Insurance Open tournament director. “Previous women’s professional tennis tournaments at La Costa have supported the fight against breast cancer and have always had successful fundraising events. We are delighted to continue that tradition this year.”

Tickets are $125 each. Call (760) 930-3072 to purchase tickets or for more information.

The 2010 Mercury Insurance Open player field includes Jankovic, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur, 2010 Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva and her fellow Russians Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Petrova. Other players entered include Melanie Oudin of the United States, Serbian Ana Ivanovic, Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Former two-time tournament champion Lindsay Davenport has accepted a wild card into the Mercury Insurance Open doubles competition, where she will partner with fellow American Liezel Huber.

Reserved Grandstand and Box Seat tickets, which range from $10-$125, are now available online at mercuryinsuranceopen.com or through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com.  Tournament Ticket Packages are also on sale and begin at $70. For additional ticket information or to purchase tickets by phone, call (760) 930-7032.

The Mercury Insurance Open, a Premier 700 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event offering $700,000 in prize money, marks the return of women’s professional tennis to Carlsbad after a two-year hiatus. The event will be televised on Tennis Channel and ESPN 2, and will comprise one of the 10 events of the Olympus US Open Series.  For additional information about the Mercury Insurance Open, log onto http://www.mercuryinsuranceopen.com/, join us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/SDTennis), or follow frequent updates on Twitter (http://twitter.com/MercuryInsOpen).

Mercury Insurance Group, title sponsor of the Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, is offering tennis fans the once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a trip to the 2010 US Open.  Contestants can register to win a package that includes airfare, hotel and VIP tickets to the Open by visiting www.mercuryinsurance.com/tennis.  No purchase is necessary to enter or win.  You must be a legal California resident 18 years of age or older with a valid driver’s license to participate in the sweepstakes.

About Mercury Insurance: Founded in 1962, Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization offering predominantly personal automobile and homeowners insurance through a network of independent agents and brokers in California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, New York, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Virginia and Pennsylvania. For more information about Mercury Insurance, visit www.mercuryinsurance.com.

About Tri-City Medical Center: Founded in 1957 to serve the healthcare needs of coastal North San Diego County, Tri-City Medical Center is a full-service, acute care hospital with (500) physicians practicing in 60 specialties. The Medical Center is administered by the Tri-City Healthcare District, which includes most of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista. For more information about Tri-City Medical Center, please visit www.tricitymed.org.

About the Olympus US Open Series: Now in its seventh season, the Olympus US Open Series has established itself as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans can follow the action throughout the summer through national television coverage, culminating each week with back-to-back men’s and women’s finals every Sunday afternoon. Players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. In 2008, Olympus became the first title sponsor of the Series. The Olympus US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Evian, Grand Marnier and SPDR Gold Shares.

Sam Querrey won the 2009 Olympus US Open Series men’s title and Elena Dementieva won the women’s title. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history — $2.4 million — for winning US Open and the Olympus US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series, winning $2.2 million — the largest purse in women’s sports history.

About Octagon Tennis: Octagon has a rich and proud history in the sport of tennis, having managed the careers of 63 Grand Slam Champions and 11 Olympic gold medalists over three decades. In addition, Octagon owns or manages more professional tennis events than any other agency with WTA and ATP events including the Kremlin Cup, Brasil Open, the Movistar Open and the Western & Southern Financial Group Championships, which is also part of the Olympus US Open Series, among others. For more information, please visit www.octagontennis.com.

Topics: Breast Biopsies, Breast Cancer, Cancer Benefit, Cancer Breast, Celebrity Guests, City Medical Center, Cocktail Reception, Female Tennis Players, La Costa Resort And Spa, Larry Anderson, Mercury Insurance, Pam Shriver, Prevalent Disease, Silent Auctions, Tennis Legend, Top Female Tennis Players, Treatable Stages, Treatment Of Breast Cancer, Tri City Hospital, Tri City Medical Center

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