Agassi at the CORE:club...

Along with some 70 other members at the CORE:club in New York, I had the good experience of listening to Andre Agassi on Thursday night tell the story of his Foundation and more significantly his the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy (Agassi Prep) – a K-11 public charter school conceived on the belief that nothing has a greater impact on a child’s life than the education he or she receives. Located in Las Vegas’ most at-risk neighborhood, Agassi Prep is designed to improve skill levels, combat lowered academic expectations and create a climate of hope for children who need it. Cited for his accomplishments in Bill Clinton's recent book Giving, he was featured with the President on Oprah where they videologged the progress of the school.

Founded in 1994 by former professional tennis player Andre Agassi, the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children through its support of recreational and educational programs. More than 180,000 children have been touched by its funding of programs designed to enhance their character, self-esteem and career possibilities.

“I have been very blessed, and I’m pleased that I can give back,” said Agassi. “Children today face so many obstacles. Fortunately, our donors have given their time, money and resources to provide educational opportunities, recreational activities, after-school programs and more. Through this support, thousands of children have the knowledge, confidence and skills to be successful. But most of all, they have hope.”

After his presentation, Andre answered questions on the Foundation and his career for the next 45 minutes and charmed the group with his sincerity, candor, charm and sense of purpose. It was a very good launch for him to expand his work into the broader national community and taking it to New York was a great place to do it. Most of us remember his last official outing in New York where he said goodbye to an adoring fan base who knows it may never see another one quite like him.