Bob Moran: Family Circle Cup

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March 24, 2015 – This week Bob Moran delivered an address which truly shows that spring has begun.  Moran is the general manager of the Family Circle Cup, which will take place this year from April 4 through April 12.  The Family Circle Cup was started in 1973 and Moran began working with the event in 2000 when the event moved to Charleston from Hilton Head.  The event has grown substantially since it began, encompassing as it does now many activities which surround the Women’s Tennis Association tournament.  With so many functions daily this annual event promotes tennis in a very family-friendly environment. 

There will be 13 sessions, both day and night, and Moran highlighted a few special activities occurring during the tournament.  Wednesday, April 8, is Pink Out Night for the Cure presented by MUSC Health.  For each attendee wearing pink funds will be donated to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure Lowcountry.  Thursday, April 9, is Military Appreciation Night sponsored by Prudential.  Active duty and retired military and their families can receive complimentary admission.  Friday, April 10, SunTrust presents a ball toss contest.  Participants will toss balls into a box on court for a chance to win a new Nissan.

Players in this year’s tournament hail from 25 countries across the globe.  Every match is broadcast internationally and on ESPN or ESPN2.  Family Circle Magazine has sponsored this event longer than any other sponsor of any other tournament in the WTA circuit.  The stadium on Daniel Island is owned by the City of Charleston but the Cup has a long-term lease which ensures that this important event is here to stay.  Over 15 million viewers world-wide will see the Cup and Charleston, making this a huge advertising opportunity for our city’s tourism industry.  Family Circle Magazine and its parent company alone will be sponsoring the visits of 250 of the magazine’s top advertisers to Charleston.  Moran estimated that the magazine will pay for 2,000 hotel nights for these visitors, which clearly is a substantial investment in Charleston’s hospitality community.

Clearly this event is a wonderful opportunity for Charleston to be in the world’s spotlight, but Moran emphasized that the Family Circle Cup organization is an active part of our community all year round.  There are over 500 members of the Family Circle Tennis Center who enjoy the facilities daily throughout the year.  Through the Tennis Center the Cup sponsors along with the City of Charleston programs which bring tennis to our community’s children, many of whom would otherwise not be able to enjoy this healthy and fun sport.  Certainly this information from Moran was especially cogent as our club continues bringing tennis to the children of James Simons Elementary School.

But tennis is not the only activity which occurs at the Family Circle Cup stadium.  Moran noted that it has become a venue for concerts and shows as well – 12 to 15 are planned for this year.  Some of the musical groups on tap for this year include the Doobie Brothers, Boston and Earth, Wind and Fire.

When questioned about the move to Charleston from Hilton Head, Moran noted that 15 years ago the event occurred at the same time as the Heritage Golf Tournament.  There simply was not sufficient space and logistical infrastructure in Hilton Head to support two large and growing tournaments occurring simultaneously.  The move to Charleston has allowed the Cup to grow exponentially, much to the City’s benefit.  The move also brought some surprising changes for its organizers.  Since the Family Circle Cup was located originally in a beach environment, the organizers expected that players would want to continue to stay in a beach venue in the Charleston community.  Once players found out about Charleston’s dining scene, however, they soon began staying for the most part in our City’s downtown, again providing a wonderful boost to our hospitality industry.

One of the special draws of the Family Circle Cup is the accessibility of the players.  It is easy for attendees to get autographs, pictures and “face time” with the premiere players in the WTA.  The Cup truly brings tennis to our community in a large way.  In fact, Moran proudly touted the fact that for the first time ever a player will participate this year is a Charleston native who first fell in love with the game serving as a ball girl at the Cup.  No one knows what future tennis star may be taking the first step toward such stardom at this year’s Family Circle Cup!

Alex Dallis