Andre Agassi's Grand Slam for Children Grows

Agassi and students during an awards ceremony at Agassi Prep

	Andre Agassi, hometown heroe with a lot to smile about
	Andre Agassi with children at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy

October is always a busy month for hometown hero Andre Agassi, but this year, he’s upping the ante. Before his over-the-top Grand Slam for Children gala on October 29, he’s going to do something on his stomping ground that you don’t often see anymore: play competitive tennis.

Since last month, Agassi has been on the Champion Series Tennis tour, hitting Thomas & Mack Center October 15 with Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and John McEnroe. At the conclusion of the 12-city tour, the top three finishers will share a $1 million prize pool.

Just two weeks later, Agassi and wife Stefanie Graf will put on their black-tie best for his star-studded 16th annual Grand Slam for Children, again held this year at Wynn Las Vegas, which promises some surprises this time around. “This year at our Grand Slam, we will be making an announcement,” Agassi says. “It’s something that we have been working toward for well over a decade. It’s going to be significant; I would even use the word ‘historic.’ I think, moving forward, this will be the event most remembered and talked about of any year.”

The gala raises a majority of the funding for the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education—more than $92 million since its inception in 1994.

“In our early years, our mission was broader, but maybe less deep,” he says. “We fed the hungry and built shelters and Boys and Girls Clubs. We tried to ease people’s suffering on many levels. As we evolved, it became clear that our mission was to reach the next generation through systemic education reform. We built Agassi Prep, and expanded by two grade levels per year. We’ve now graduated our third class of seniors and have touched thousands of lives.”

The thriving, tuition-free Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy charter school opened in 2001 with a goal of providing at-risk youth with a challenging, quality education. Agassi says he wants it to be a beacon and model that other states follow.

Hometown Hero
Agassi’s dedication to Nevada is homegrown: He was raised right here in Las Vegas, and he and Graf have made it their home base. “Las Vegas is a one-of-a-kind place, a city built in the middle of the desert that still has a ‘can do’ attitude to this day,” he says. “The positive attitude of its people really contributes to our lives. Now, we are fortunate enough to have most of the Agassi and Graf clans right here in Las Vegas. I’m happy to be able to raise my children with these people and experiences.