STANFORD, Calif. (www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com) – Sony Ericsson WTA Tour professional Marion Bartoli took some time from her participation at the Bank of the West Classic to meet with patients at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital on the Stanford University campus Tuesday afternoon.
Bartoli, coming off a first-round victory on Monday night, participated in a series of arts and crafts activities with the children. The 2007 Wimbledon finalist posed for pictures, signed autographs and handed out Bank of the West teddy bears.
The Bank of the West Bear, one of the most lovable and recognizable mascots in the Bay Area, also made an appearance and participated in activities and photographs with the children.
With over 650 physicians and 4750 staff support and volunteers, Packard Children's Hospital is a world-renowned, non-profit hospital devoted entirely to the care of babies, children, adolescents and expectant mothers.
Tickets for the tournament’s opening rounds start at just $23. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or log on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com.
The Bank of the West Classic, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event, will be played July 14-20 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium at Stanford University and features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women’s event of the Olympus US Open Series.
ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC: The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the US Open Series. A Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Tier II event, the Bank of the West Classic features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $600,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams. The Bank of the West Classic is owned and operated by IMG.
ABOUT BANK OF THE WEST: Founded in 1874 and headquartered in San Francisco, $62 billion-asset Bank of the West is the second-largest commercial bank based in California. Bank of the West offers a full range of business, trust, international and personal banking services. The bank currently operates more than 700 commercial and retail banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. In 2008, Bank of the West ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Retail Banks in the West” by J.D. Power and Associates. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is owned by BNP Paribas, a leading global financial services institution ranked by Standard & Poor's as one of the world's four strongest banks. More information is available at www.bankofthewest.com.