Professional tennis makes its GIANT Center debut in Hershey when Elton John and Billie Jean King bring the 13th annual Advanta WTT Smash Hits presented by The Hershey Company, to town on November 7, 2005.

The event, a special night of tennis action featuring some of the top players on the men's and women's professional tours, is hosted by long-time friends Elton and Billie Jean and will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the National AIDS Fund. Additionally a portion of the event's proceeds will benefit The Greater Harrisburg AIDS Fund.

"Over the years we have been very fortunate to bring our special brand of tennis and this wonderful event to some great cities across the country," said Ilana Kloss, CEO/Commissioner of World TeamTennis. "With the help of The Hershey Company we will be the first tennis event in the GIANT Center and we are looking forward to showcasing some of the best tennis players in the world and helping raise the awareness of the fight against HIV and AIDS in central Pennsylvania."

Tickets for Advanta WTT Smash Hits will go on sale later this summer and announcements of players competing in the event will begin in July 2005. Players who have played the event in past years include Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Anna Kournikova, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova and Jimmy Connors.

"We are thrilled to partner with Elton John, Billie Jean King and World TeamTennis to bring Smash Hits to Hershey, and more importantly, to support the fight against HIV and AIDS in Pennsylvania," said John C. Long, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, The Hershey Company.

Five sets of tennis, using the World TeamTennis (WTT) format, will be played. Several top players on the men's and women's professional tennis tours will compete in men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. The players will form two teams, with one team captained by Elton and the other by Billie Jean. Both of them also plan to participate in a celebrity doubles event to open the evening.

In addition to the night of tennis, a special VIP event and auction will be held prior to the start of the tennis action. Now in its 13th year, Advanta WTT Smash Hits has raised more than $7 million to help in the fight against HIV and AIDS around the globe.

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