Will Ferrell, Jordin Sparks, Andy Roddick among stars to appear at Arthur Ashe Kids' Day

Will Ferrell, multi-award winner and platinum-selling artist Jordin Sparks, rising stars Honor Society and Usher protégé Justin Bieber will team with former US Open champion Andy Roddick and additional superstar players for the 14th annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day presented by Hess.  The popular full-day tennis and music festival for children and families - including interactive games, musical entertainment and tennis clinics - will be hosted by television personalities Susie Castillo and Quddus.  The festivities are set for Saturday, August 29 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.  The tennis and music festival kicks off the 2009 US Open, which runs from August 31 - September 13.  

From 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. kids and families can experience an exciting schedule of interactive tennis games, music and attractions taking place throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.  Returning to Arthur Ashe Kids' Day this year is SmashZone, a fan fest located in the National Tennis Center's new indoor facility, which will run from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.  Then from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., a live tennis and music stadium show will feature fun exhibition matches and skills competitions with Roddick, Ferrell and other top players and celebrities with musical performances by Sparks, Honor Society and Bieber.  

For the stadium show, tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster (1-866-OPEN-TIX), usopen.org and at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office.  American Express is the official card of Arthur Ashe Kids' Day.  General admission promenade tickets cost $10 and loge tickets are $20.  Activities for the Grounds Festival begin at 9:30 a.m. and run until 1 p.m.  The Arthur Ashe Kids' Day stadium show starts at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally by CBS on Sunday, August 30, from 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.  Kids 12-and-under with stadium show tickets will receive a free Arthur Ashe Kids' Day hat from the USTA and Hess on a first-come, first-served basis.  In the event of inclement weather, ticket holders can log on to usopen.org for the most up to date information.

"Arthur Ashe Kids' Day presented by Hess is a terrific way to kick off the US Open each year," said Pierce O'Neil, Chief Business Officer, USTA.  "This year's Arthur Ashe Kids' Day will again bring together some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment for a fun filled day for all ages. Additionally, this year's event will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the National Junior Tennis and Learning network, a program that Arthur Ashe co-founded in an effort to bring the sport of tennis to economically diverse audiences throughout the country."

More tennis pros and special musical guests will headline the grounds festivities, from 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.  All the hot music on the Hess "Get Pumped Up" Stage will be hosted by popular radio personality Carolina Bermudez from Z100.

Over the years, Arthur Ashe Kids' Day has featured many of music's biggest acts including Jonas Brothers, Rihanna, Demi Lovato, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Ne-Yo, Cheyenne, The Cheetah Girls, Mario, Sean Kingston, Jesse McCartney, Bow Wow and Kat DeLuna.  This year's lineup features:

Jordin Sparks - 19 Recordings/Jive Records' Grammy nominated artist Jordin Sparks began performing in her early teens at a local theatre in Phoenix, AZ. This was just the beginning of an amazing journey. Since then, Jordin earned the 2007 American Idol crown, at the tender age of seventeen, making her the youngest contestant ever to win. She quickly won over audiences with her breath taking voice, inspirational songs, as well as her modest, down-to-earth personality and bright smile. With over a million albums sold, Jordin is excited for the release of her sophomore album, Battlefield, in stores July 21st.

Will Ferrell - Will Ferrell is an American comedian, actor, voice actor and writer. He first established himself as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, and has since gone on to a film career, starring in the comedies A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Old School, Elf (both 2003), Anchorman (2004), Kicking & Screaming (2005), Talladega Nights, Stranger than Fiction (both 2006), Blades of Glory (2007), Semi-Pro, Step Brothers (both 2008), and Land of the Lost (2009). He is considered a member of the Frat Pack, a generation of leading Hollywood comic actors to emerge in the late 1990s and the 2000s including Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Jack Black, Vince Vaughn, and brothers Owen and Luke Wilson.

Honor Society - Honor Society has set the foundation for a breakout year in 2009.  Since the spring, Honor Society has been named a breakout band to watch by RollingStone.com, identified as a Buzzworthy artist by MTV and earned an opening spot on one of the biggest tours of the summer as they join the Jonas Brothers and Jordin Sparks on the North American leg of the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009.  They have also finished recording their debut album and have recorded their first single, "Where Are You Now," for the upcoming Summit Entertainment film, Bandslam.  The four gentlemen of Honor Society (Michael Bruno - lead vocals, guitar; Jason Rosen - keyboards, guitar; Andrew Lee - bass; Alexander Noyes - drums) built a groundswell of loyal fans by directly communicating with them through MySpace and YouTube.  Their unique sound and sense of style has led to over 40,000 friends on MySpace and over 2.5 million plays of their music on their profile.  Honor Society's debut album will be released on September 15th on Jonas Records and will be distributed by Hollywood Records.

Justin Bieber - At the age of 12, Justin posted performance footage of himself singing in his hometown's "Stratford Idol" on YouTube.  It turned out that he had a large fan base online, and eventually racked up over 20 million views purely from word of mouth.  Bieber is not only a talented vocalist, he is also a self-taught musician who plays the drums, guitar, piano and trumpet. After being introduced to Usher by his manager (Scott "Scooter" Braun), Usher then brought him to LA Reid, Chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group, who signed the teenager on the spot. His debut album, "My World" is an intimate look into the mind of a budding young renaissance man. With production from star hit men like The-Dream and Tricky Stewart who produced "Umbrella" for Rihanna, Justin has everything he needs to achieve pop supremacy.

The interactive activities, offering children of all ages a chance to hit with top tennis pros and win prizes, include: 

Hess Get Pumped Up Festival Stage - Features up and coming musical acts and hosted by Z100's Carolina Bermudez.
The Hess Express Obstacle Course - Kids test agility, balance, running and tennis skills.
Nike - Tennis and skill activities on two courts featuring Nike sponsored athletes.
IBM SpeedZone - Two radar guns on court test the speed of kids' serves.
"CBS 2's Eye on the Prize" - Kids can show off their athletic skills and win cool prizes.
QuickStart Tennis - An exciting new play format for learning tennis, designed to bring kids into the game by utilizing specialized equipment, shorter court dimensions and modified scoring, all tailored to age and size. It is divided into two different levels - ages 8 and under and ages 10 and under.
USTA Adaptive Tennis - Demonstrations and clinics conducted for children with disabilities.
PTR Speed Tennis - PTR certified tennis professionals will have mini-courts set up where children can hit with teaching professionals at full speed with complete strokes.
USRSA Pro Racquet Round Up - Kids get a chance to see what it feels like to hit with a personal racquet of top tennis stars like Venus and Serena Williams.
USPTA Little Tennis - USPTA certified teaching professionals host a court consisting of 30 colorful hitting stations.
USTA "Beat the Pro" - Opportunity for children to play against some of the top professionals from across the world and get a few tips as well.
Also - Player Practices, Player Autographs, Face-Painting, Hair Braiding, Juggling & Plate Spinning, Stilt-Walkers, Balloon Artists and more.

Presented by Hess and produced by the USTA, Arthur Ashe Kids' Day honors tennis legend Arthur Ashe and continues his mission of using tennis as a means to instill in kids the values of humanitarianism, leadership and academic excellence. Arthur Ashe Kids' Day introduces children of all ages to the great sport of tennis while bringing families together for a fun, interactive experience.  A portion of the proceeds from Arthur Ashe Kids' Day benefits the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. The NJTL was established by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder in 1969 with the mission of developing the character of young people through tennis and education. Since then, the NJTL network has grown to include over 550 chapters which serve over 220,000 youth annually. NJTL chapters, which vary in size and scope, can be found in 46 of the top 50 U.S. markets, making NJTL one of the USTA's largest community-based initiatives. NJTL chapters are supported by the USTA through grants, awards, and various learning opportunities. NJTL participants have the opportunity to take part in a number of core programs, including the Tennis and Leadership Camp, the Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest, Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, Regional Rallies, a scholarship to the annual USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop, and low-cost insurance.

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Hess Corporation headquartered in New York, is a global integrated energy company engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, as well as in refining and in marketing refined petroleum products, natural gas, and electricity.  The company markets through over 1350 Hess and Hess Express branded gasoline / convenience retail locations on the U.S. East Coast.

The 2008 US Open drew more than 720,000 fans, maintaining its position as the highest attended annual sporting event in the world.  More than 70 million viewers watched the 2008 US Open on CBS Sports and USA Network, and international broadcasts reached 185 countries.  JPMorgan Chase is the presenting sponsor of the US Open women's singles championship.  Lexus is the presenting sponsor of the US Open men's singles championship.  

The 2009 US Open will be held Monday, August 31 through Sunday, September 13.  Tickets for the 2009 US Open can be purchased four ways: 1) at USOpen.org; 2) by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX; 3) at all Ticketmaster outlets; or 4) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office.  American Express is the Official Card of the US Open.