Getting the VIP Treatment at the 2017 Rogers Cup

Last Wednesday, I was given the VIP treatment at the Rogers Cup, courtesy of National Bank, the presenting sponsor. I had the absolute pleasure of being able to host my very own VIP party for myself and 8 of my closest friends on the rooftop of the National Bank Booth!

I love going to the Rogers Cup – it’s always so exciting and entertaining! Every year, I attend as a regular spectator. But this year’s experience was obviously extra special. The Rogers Cup was held this year between August 7th and 13th at the Aviva Centre at York University, which is actually my alma mater! I graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University literally a decade ago and undergrad 3 years before that (now I’m dating myself); and it’s always nice to return to the campus because it’s like a trip down memory lane!

Getting there isn’t too difficult by car or public transport and there are shuttles from the parking lots to the venue. I was lucky enough to have my own private car pick me up from home to bring me to the venue. Talk about service! Arriving at the grounds, it feels a bit like sensory overload! There are so many activations, things to see and do, and of course, eat! So, it was especially nice to be able to enjoy some pre-game time with my friends on the National Bank booth rooftop.

Shot of the VIP rooftop above the National Bank booth at the Rogers Cup

It was the PERFECT day for a rooftop party! The weather was warm and sunny and we got to snack on some light bites and drink some cocktails as the sun went down. After that, we witnessed some pretty amazing tennis. We first saw Simona Halep defeat Magdaléna Rybáriková, then watched as Angelique Kerber beat Donna Vekić. They were both super exciting matches!

Before the rooftop, I had some time to check out the National Bank booth. Just as I arrived, 2 young kids were battling it out in an intense game of neuro tennis, where they were essentially playing tennis with their minds! There was a neuro tennis tournament at the booth every day at 3 and 5 p.m. There were also swings outside the booth and other interactive games for a chance to win some pretty cool instant prizes inside.

But one of the best parts about the booth was the On The Ball stand, where you can donate your used tennis balls for charity. Now in its 11^th year, all of the tennis balls donated to On The Ball are used to make chair slippers for schools in Quebec and Ontario, so students can enjoy a noise-free learning environment! Since this initiative began, over 1.4 million tennis balls have been collected and have assisted over 350,000 students! I think it’s such an amazing program and quite an innovative way to get good use out of old tennis balls!

The Rogers Cup is now over, but this experience was an unforgettable one! Congrats to Elina Svitolina on winning the Rogers Cup title! If you didn’t get a chance to drop by the National Bank booth during the Rogers Cup and still want to contribute to On The Ball, you can donate your used tennis balls at select tennis clubs across Ontario and Quebec. Information on where to donate can be found here and I highly encourage you to participate!

Special thanks to the National Bank of Canada and Faulhaber Communications for the invitation and for making this year’s experience at the Rogers Cup my best ever!