Andre the Giant

Friday, Sept. 20, 2002 | 4:35 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 22, 2002

To tennis fans, Andre Agassi is a legend.

The 32-year-old native of Las Vegas has won almost $24 million in prize money since turning professional in 1986.

To children in need, Agassi is a hero.

In the past eight years the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation has raised almost $20 million for a variety of causes that benefit young people born into poverty.

Last year USA Weekend Magazine honored Agassi (and Miami Heat basketball star Alonzo Mourning) with its annual Most Caring Athlete Award.

Most of Agassi's fund raising is held during the "Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children," which this year will be held Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The "Grand Slam" (this will be the seventh), includes an evening of entertainment with some of the brightest stars in the industry.

Money from the benefit is spread among such entities as the Andre Agassi Preparatory Academy; Child Haven, which is Clark County's only public shelter for abused and neglected children; the Andre Agassi Boys and Girls Club; the Cynthia Bunker Memorial Scholarship; Operation School Bell; Inner-City Games; Boys Hope/Girls Hope; I Have A Dream Foundation; Las Vegas Sun Summer Camp Fund; Class!Publications; and the Youth Concert Series for the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

Agassi is married to fellow Grand Slam tennis champion Steffi Graf. They have a son, Jaden Gil.

On Sept. 8, Agassi lost the U.S. Open men's final to longtime rival Pete Sampras, who at 31 became the oldest Open champion since Jimmy Connors won the event in 1970.

Agassi recently talked to the Sun about his career and about his upcoming Grand Slam for Children.

Las Vegas Sun: Have you recovered from the U.S. Open?

Andre Agassi: I think so. It has taken me longer mentally than physically, but yeah. I feel good now.

Sun: You have had a great year, with a record of 36-5. You are in excellent condition. But you aren't getting any younger. Have you given any thought to what you will do after you retire?

AA: How I look at it is, literally, if I have time to think about what I'm going to do after tennis, then I'm not putting enough energy into what it requires for me now. So the simple answer is, I haven't even thought about it.

Sun: You have created a tremendous foundation. What motivates you to give back so much when so many don't?

AA: It was a dream of mine and Perry Rogers (president of Andre Agassi Enterprises), my best friend from childhood. We grew up together in Las Vegas and we always talked about how we would give back to this community. The question was how and when.

Life has it that we have now worked together for the last eight years and we've built something that has been important to us since we were in our early teens. To ask why we were motivated to give back, you would have to explain to me why you wouldn't be motivated. We've just continued a dream that started a long time ago.

Sun: How are the ticket sales going for the benefit?

AA: We're going to be sold out. There are only a few hundred tickets left, and we almost always get 1,000 walk-ups.

Sun: Las year's benefit came on the tail of Sept. 11. How did that affect the event?

AA: We raised $4.2 million, which was a record. In 2000 we raised $3.9 million.

Sun: How were you able to raise a record amount of money after Sept. 11?

AA: It was amazing. First of all, it's a night that's not geared around taking from people, it's geared around giving to people. It starts with us. We need to provide a great evening. We're not just asking you to come take a day out of your life for the sake of somebody else. We're saying, come let us give you this incredible show that takes a lot of hard work to put on. In return, we are going to ask you to give.

It has built up its own momentum. People now show up not just expecting to give and to receive, but also to inspire others to do the same. People want that. Everybody needs that in their lives. The event last year, after Sept. 11, really highlighted how important it is to our society to help our children for a better world tomorrow. That's the idea, to give our children a chance to make the world a better place.

Sun: How much of the money goes to help the charities?

AA: The event is underwritten, which means all the proceeds make it straight to the children.

Sun: Any projections on how much the benefit might make this year?

AA: There are no expectations. Setting goals only limits you. We're just going to go into it and try to make it the best yet.

Sun: Who are the headliners this year?

AA: Elton John, Martina McBride, Dennis Miller, Carlos Santana, Kenneth "Baby Face" Edmonds and Robin Williams. And hopefully there will be a couple of surprises. Every year we try to have a surprise or two.

Sun: How difficult is it to get headliners of that quality?

AA: Early on, it is difficult. Myself, when I go do other charity events you have a tendency to be a little cynical about it. You always wonder if the money you're helping raise is going to actually make it to its intended cause. But I think once you establish yourself with the industry, as far as entertainers go, and people know that the money being raised is truly making a difference in the lives of the children, then I think getting people to help actually becomes easy.

Sun: USA Weekend Magazine gave you its Most Caring Athlete Award last year. How did you feel about that?

AA: It was a great honor. But I'm smart enough to have people a lot smarter than me around me. And I have some great people who are very enthusiastic and very committed -- just as I am. But none of this would work without so many people helping, including 300 volunteers we need to pull off this event from start to finish.

Sun: What is the legacy you want to leave your son?

AA: I would love for him to be committed to making the world a better place after his life is over than the world he came into. That, to me, is the hope. You always want to leave the world a better place. I hope he believes in that.