International Tennis Hall of Fame to Honor 2012 Inductees at The Legends Ball

May 10, 2012 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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During one of the most exciting weekends of the tennis calendar, U.S. Open finals weekend, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum will once again add to the festivities with The Legends Ball, a gala event to be held on Friday, Sept. 7 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The Legends Ball will pay tribute to the Hall of Fame Class of 2012, which features former world number ones Jennifer Capriati and Guga Kuerten, as well as Spanish tennis great Manuel Orantes, tennis industry innovator and promoter Mike Davies, and wheelchair tennis star Randy Snow, who will be inducted posthumously.

Proceeds of The Legends Ball, which has been held annually since 1980, will benefit the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in the mission to preserve the history of the game, honor the legends of tennis, and inspire the future of the sport. The Legends Ball will be co-chaired by Guillaume de Ramel of Newport, R.I., a real estate investor and director of F.H. Prince & Company, and his wife, Molly; Todd Traina, an independent film producer from San Francisco, and his wife, Katie; and Gene Yoon of Seoul, South Korea, who is the chairman and CEO of Fila Korea Ltd. In addition to co-chairing The Legends Ball, de Ramel, Traina, and Yoon all serve on the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, having joined the Board in September 2011.

As a premier social event during the U.S. Open, The Legends Ball annually draws a who’s who of the tennis community, including the new inductees, Hall of Fame tennis legends, industry leaders, celebrity tennis fans, and tennis enthusiasts. The evening will feature tributes for the new inductees, as well as additional award presentations, dinner, live entertainment, and an auction featuring an array of exclusive experiences and valuable items.

"We encourage tennis fans who will be in New York City during the U.S. Open to join us for an unforgettable celebration of tennis to honor the new Hall of Fame inductees and to support our mission to preserve the history of the sport," said Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. “I would also like to extend our appreciation to our co-chairs, Guillaume and Molly de Ramel, Todd and Katie Traina, and Gene Yoon, whose support will make The Legends Ball an enjoyable, successful night for all who attend.”

Guillaume de Ramel was born in France, but resides in Newport, R.I. He is an independent investor, director of F.H. Prince LLC and trustee of the de Ramel Foundation. His foundation is committed to children and health; among many interests, and his organization founded RhodySquash, building the first successful urban squash program in the state. de Ramel serves as chairman of Newport Hospital’s F.H. Prince Memorial Fund, and Rhode Island Hospital’s Advisory Committee for the Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute. Active in politics, de Ramel was named one of “25 Movers and Shakers” by Rhode Island Monthly magazine during his run for Secretary of State. Most recently, he was appointed by Governor Lincoln Chafee to Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Management Council, a quasi-judicial agency that is responsible for the preservation, protection, development, and restoration of coastal areas in the state. de Ramel earned a master’s degree in real estate development from Columbia University and he graduated from Hobart and William Smith College, with a bachelor’s degree in architectural studies. de Ramel, his wife Molly, a former Fox News Channel reporter, and their two children are avid squash and tennis players.

Todd Traina is an independent film producer and founder of Red Rover Films. Some of the feature films Traina has produced over the last 15 years include: "What Maisie Knew" with Julianne Moore; "Goats" with David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga; "Another Happy Day" starring Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, Ellen Barkin, Thomas Hayden Church and Ellen Burstyn; "The Romantics" starring Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman, Candice Bergen, Adam Brody and Elijah Wood; and "Morning" starring Jeanne Tripplehorn, Laura Linney, Elliott Gould and Leland Orser. Traina also produced the feature films "Archie’s Final Project," "Blood & Bone," “Night Train,” "What We Do Is Secret," "Stanley’s Gig" and the popular documentary "Punk’s Not Dead." Many of Traina’s films have played or garnered awards at top film festivals including Sundance, Berlin and SXSW. In 2007, Traina was named a "Top Ten Producer to Watch" by Daily Variety. Traina began his career with producer Douglas Cramer at NBC Productions working on the Danielle Steel Movies of the Week. In addition to film production, he has developed real estate, owned or partnered in a number of successful Hollywood restaurants and is a partner in Mombo LLC, a Northern California investment company. Traina recently co-founded Social Media Productions, which develops and creates on-line games, programming, shows and webisodes. Traina serves on several boards including the San Francisco Film Society and the Vision of Hope Advisory Board, which serves and funds eight California inner city schools. Traina is a graduate of Connecticut College and was born and raised in San Francisco where he lives with his wife Katie and daughter Daisy. Traina and family are long-time Newport summer residents and are all active in the preservation and support of the community.

Gene Yoon is the chairman and CEO of Fila Korea Ltd. and has been associated with the Fila brand since the early 1980’s when he served as the company’s first footwear sourcing agent in Korea. In 1991, Yoon launched a subsidiary in Korea for Fila’s Italian owners and quickly turned Korea into one of most successful markets for the Fila brand. Today Fila Korea operates through a network of over 850 franchise stores. In 2005, Yoon led a management buyout of the Korean subsidiary from Sports Brands International (a holding company of Cerberus Capital Management) and entered into a long-term license for the Fila brand. In 2007, Yoon fulfilled a life-long dream and acquired the worldwide operations and trademark rights of the Fila brand making him the first Korean entrepreneur to acquire a global brand. Following the acquisition, Yoon used his vast experience to develop a long-term licensing model with direct operations in the key Korean and US markets and, as a result, has revived the Fila brand and increased brand revenues around the world. In 2010, Yoon led the initial public offering of Fila Korea on the Korean Stock Exchange (KRX), one of the most successful IPO’s in the history of the exchange. In May 2011, Yoon led a consortium of Korean investors in the winning bid for the acquisition of the Acushnet Company, one of the largest golf equipment companies in the world, which includes the premium and storied brands Titleist, the #1 ball in golf and a leader in high performance golf clubs, and FootJoy, the #1 shoe, glove, and performance outerwear brand in golf.

In addition to the Hall of Fame Class of 2012, The Legends Ball will honor several additional people and organizations who have contributed greatly to tennis by presentation of the Eugene L. Scott Award and the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award. Given annually in memory of the late founder and publisher of Tennis Week magazine, the Scott Award is presented to an individual who embodies his commitment to communicating honestly and critically about the game, and who has had a significant impact on the tennis world. The Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award honors an exceptional company that shares Joe Cullman’s enthusiasm for tennis and has also made a significant contribution to society at large – both philanthropically and through outstanding generosity of spirit. Cullman served as president and chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum from 1982-88, a tenure during which the organization was elevated to worldwide recognition. The award recipients will be announced at a later date.

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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