NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, January 14, 2016 Thousands of spectators today cheered on New York City’s most prestigious corporations, hedge funds and financial institutions at Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, as thirty-two teams battled in the ultimate table tennis showdown to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City (BBBS of NYC) during the Eighth Annual Tournament of Champions Pong.

The nation's first and New York's largest youth mentoring organization partnered with the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, the USA's premier professional squash tournament, to present "ToC Pong." Part of National Mentoring Month, the tournament raised over $100,000 to support BBBS of NYC's volunteer mentoring programs, which currently serve more than 5,000 young people throughout the five boroughs each year. To date, ToC Pong has raised more than $500,000 for the organization.

“Year after year, the ToC Pong Tournament is a demonstration of the profound impact we can have when New Yorkers come together,” said BBBS of NYC trustee and event co-founder, Andrew Lipman. “This is an incredible event that brings together industry leaders from the city’s corporate sector for an exciting competition, with a common goal of improving the lives of at-risk youth throughout the five boroughs. Thanks to the support of these executives and the thousands of spectators passing through Grand Central, we will be able to identify more caring adult role models for hundreds of children across our city.”

Participating teams from a wide range of corporate supporters competed inside the all-glass show court in Vanderbilt Hall to win one-year table tennis memberships donated by SPiN.

"ToC Pong is the only event where you will find dozens of top executives taking time out of their busy schedules to face off in a ping pong tournament, and that is a testament to the power of mentoring and the countless lives it touches every day," said Hector Batista, chief executive officer of BBBS of NYC. "The funds raised during today's ToC Pong event will allow our organization to serve hundreds of children throughout the five boroughs who currently are waiting for mentors, and we are grateful to the Wall Street community and those passing through Grand Central for their tremendous support."

In addition to the support from the finance industry, the 2016 Tournament of Champions Pong was sponsored by Jolla, SPiN New York, and The Weston New York Grand Central.

This year's tournament drew tens of thousands spectators throughout the day, including 500 reserved audience seats, casual passersby and additional Grand Central foot traffic.

The ToC Pong took place from noon to 6:00 pm. Awards were presented at a cocktail reception at 6:30pm, just after the ToC Squash final. For more information on ToC Pong, Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, or becoming a volunteer mentor, visit www.bigsnyc.org.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City
Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC (BBBS of NYC), the nation's first and NYC's largest youth mentoring organization, has served the changing needs of New York City's most at-risk youth since 1904. The volunteer- and donor-based organization offers a variety of specialized mentoring programs to help children facing more complex challenges – including immigrant youth, teen mothers and children of incarcerated parents – as well as the Workplace Mentoring Center, which helps businesses throughout New York City positively impact the lives of young people and build a foundation for professional success. Additionally, since 1992 BBBS of NYC has worked through its Center for Training and Professional Development to equip non-profit professionals throughout New York City to develop and enhance their own mentoring and youth-development programs and organizations.

Through the support of individuals, foundations and corporations, this not-for-profit agency has been able to change the lives of the city's most disadvantaged children, matching them with caring adult role models – dependable friends who can help to expand their horizons, realize their potential and enrich their futures. To learn more, become a mentor and/or offer support, please visitwww.bigsnyc.org.

Contact: Tom Corsillo
              The Marino Organization
              212.889.0808
              Tom@themarino.org