Celebrities Totally Hate Drugs

Celebrities love to get together and throw piles of money at charitable foundations. It directly benefits their reputation, it helps the world, and sometimes, however rarely, they even happen to believe in the cause they are accidentally supporting.

For the past several years, the Boca Raton Country Cub has been home to the ‘Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic’, a celebrity-ridden event organized in efforts to raise money and awareness in the battle against drug abuse in Florida. Since 1989 the organization, founded by former pro-tennis star Chris Evert, has donated over $21.2 million to the ongoing campaign against regional drug abuse, contributing $600,000 last year alone. When Chris retired from a life of professional tennis, she joined forces with The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, a pre-established association that has helped hundreds of drug-abusing mothers in obtaining the help they need in order to give their children a fair shot at life.

The initial event, held in 1989, was recorded as the most successful first-year benefit in tennis history, bringing in a grand total of $350,000. This introductory event benefitted a campus of drug treatment facilities located in one of the most impoverished regions of Southern Florida. This specific treatment center was built essentially entirely from labor and materials donated from the local community, and offers care of all levels for patients. Although the center was standing, it wasn’t able to open its doors due to lack of operational funding until Chris Evert stepped in – the facility officially opened its doors in 1991.

This year the event takes place from November 21^st-23^rd, and tickets range anywhere from $2500 to $20. Celebrities such as Sonny Bono, Brooke Shields, Linda Evans, Jeb Bush, and Yanni most recently graced the affair with their presences, and every year celebrity pro-athletes gather to compete in the tournament as well. Although the $20 ticket will only get you into one day of the three-day event in addition to the cocktail party (bring a sober support), it is undeniably a cause worth advocating. One of the leading issues the nation is faced with in regards to drug abuse and addiction is pregnant women battling substance dependency. If more altruistic individuals like Chris Evert take such strides in putting an end to this nationally destructive epidemic, the future of our youth will once again look brighter, and they will avoid falling into the same dead-end patterns many of those in our generation weren’t fortunate enough to avoid.

And speaking of avoidance – if you do make it to Charity Tournament, steer clear of the women’s restroom at the black-tie gala. Lindsay Lohan will probably be there doing lines of coke off the toilet seat. She’s one of the ones that doesn’t get it.