Tennis Canada – 407 ETR Free Community Weekend offers free admission for all on August 5 and 6
– Toronto Humane Society partners with Rogers Cup to bring adoptable animals to Aviva Centre
– FearlesslyGirl holds first summit in Toronto for young girls on August 6
– Characters from PAW Patrol, Bob the Builder, and more to meet with kids on-site

Toronto, July 18, 2017 – Families looking for affordable, fun, and exciting activities to do over the August long weekend will find a home at 407 ETR Free Community Weekend in Toronto. Taking place August 5 and 6 during the first two days of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank at Aviva Centre, it is the perfect event for people of all ages with free admission for everyone, qualifying tennis action, and lots of family-friendly fun.

“We know it can be challenging to find something that will keep the whole family entertained over the summer break, but 407 ETR Free Community Weekend has something for everyone,” said Karl Hale, Rogers Cup Toronto tournament director. “We love kicking off Rogers Cup every year with our free weekend of tennis and fun, and it’s a great way to bring both longtime fans and those new to the sport out to our event. With some exciting new additions this year, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic two days of entertainment for all of our guests.”

Characters from some of television’s most popular children’s shows will be on-site for meet-and-greet opportunities. Look for the PAW Patrol squad, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bob the Builder, and Shimmer and Shine around the grounds and during scheduled performances over the course of the weekend.

Another new addition to this year’s festivities will be the Toronto Humane Society. For those guests looking to expand their family, several adoptable cats and dogs will be on-site for the two days. Staff from the Humane Society will also be present to educate and inform families on the process of adoption. Animal lovers will also want to see some of the dogs run around on court as a few will be undergoing unofficial ball crew training.  

Celebrating its 125th anniversary of the women’s tournament, Rogers Cup is also hosting a special event aimed at empowering young females. FearlesslyGirl, an internationally recognized anti-bullying organization based in Canada, will hold a summit on August 6. Joining founder Kate Whitfield will be world No. 16 and 2016 Rogers Cup finalist Madison Keys, who joined the organization as an ambassador last year. Participants will be local girls involved in community tennis programs, with several spots for the event made available to the public via registration. More details will be available on the Rogers Cup website and official social accounts on July 25.

When snack-time hits, there will be plenty of options for kids, adults, and kids at heart. A unique offering for Free Community Weekend will be a patriotic red-and-white grilled cheese, designed in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday celebration. Free snow cones and cotton candy will also be available for those with a sweet tooth. This is all in addition to the regular dining offerings at Rogers Cup.

While there are plenty of new activities scheduled for 2017, many regular favourites of Free Community Weekend will once again return. The day features face-painting, arts and crafts, mini-tennis, music and games. Guests will also be able to compete in scavenger hunts and contests for prizes, and attend autograph and Q&A sessions with WTA players.

In addition to all the on-site entertainment, 407 ETR Free Community Weekend also features an exciting two days packed full of qualifying tennis action, as some of the world’s top tennis competitors play for a spot in the main draw. The top-ranked players at Rogers Cup will also be practicing on Centre Court and the practice courts throughout the weekend, with attendance open to the public.

407 ETR Free Community weekend runs from August 5-6 with free admission, and kicks off a week of action at Rogers Cup that will not only include thrilling and inspiring on-court action, but Cirque du Soleil performances, celebrity chefs, music shows, and lots more.   

Owned and operated by Tennis Canada, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the women’s tournament this year, welcoming the best players of the WTA from August 5-13 at Aviva Centre in Toronto. As a not-for-profit organization, Tennis Canada invests all net proceeds from the tournament right back into growing the sport of tennis across Canada. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit rogerscup.com.
 
Links:
Official Rogers Cup Site                 rogerscup.com
Like Rogers Cup                                facebook.com/RogersCup
Follow Rogers Cup                           @rogerscup
Official Tennis Canada Site           tenniscanada.com
Like Tennis Canada                          facebook.com/TennisCanada
Follow Tennis Canada                    @TennisCanada
#RogersCup
 
About Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 125th anniversary of the women’s event from August 5-13, 2017 at Aviva Centre in Toronto and its 137th anniversary of the men’s event from August 4-13, 2017 at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. As a WTA Premier 5 tournament, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, and US Open Series event, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s best players. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the US Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.
 
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, 10 professional ITF-sanctioned events and financially supports 12 other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national junior training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada, please visit our website at www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Nicole Watts
Manager, Communications and Media Relations
nwatts@tenniscanada.com or 416-665-9777 ext. 4092
Caroline Anderson
Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
canderson@tenniscanada.com or 416-665-9777 ext. 4545