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CNN Live Today

Fund-Raiser for Small Fries

Aired November 20, 2002 - 11:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Venus and Serena Williams each entered the world of tennis at a young age. Both girls credit the strong influence of their father for much of their present day success on the court. The Williams sisters are both top seeded players in their own right. They are tough adversaries even as they face each other, as often happen when you reach their level of play, number one and number two in the world.
Venus and Serena Williams are joining forces with other celebrities in a global fund-raiser to benefit children in more than 100 countries, and Venus and Serena Williams join us from New York's Time Square with more on World Children's Day.

Ladies, good morning, such a pleasure to have you both with us this morning.

Venus, I got to give you a little props. I was able to go to the U.S. Open for the first time this year, and I saw one of your early -- I will call it a match, but I think it was more like a tennis lesson whoever it was you were schooling on that particular night.

VENUS WILLIAMS, TENNIS PROFESSIONAL: Thank you very much. It must have been a good match. I don't quite remember that one.

KAGAN: Because it wasn't even that memorable because those matches are going so easily for you.

Ladies, tell me what wormed children's day is all about.

V. WILLIAMS: You want to go ahead?

SERENA WILLIAMS, TENNIS PROFESSIONAL: OK. It's just -- it's a great fund and just a great charity that McDonald's has started for world children. It's a charity that benefits the Ronald McDonald House, which is a house that houses children when they're in hospitals and don't have anywhere else to stay. Their family stays in the home which is near the hospital, and it's really good because we actually live next to a Ronald McDonald's House, and we're looking forward to visiting one very soon, because we love children and love this whole thing. We're excited to be a part of the campaign.

V. WILLIAMS: We're excited to visit the children's house, we just got off of the tour and now we have some free time, finally, to do things like this and to be involved in, you know, the Ronald McDonald's World Children's Day.

KAGAN: I'm not sure how much free time you have with all the interests you have even outside of tennis.

But I'm wondering, you must get hit up or contacted to support so many causes. How do you pick and choose who gets your support or, more importantly, your time.

V. WILLIAMS: It's hard, because they're so many causes out there that are unbelievable and well worth your time, but it's just you have to pick and choose for sure. We try to choose the ones that seem to be the most trustworthy and be the most dedicated to helping, you know, children or cancer or whatever the cause may be. And for sure, World Children's Day at McDonald's, they're extremely dedicated to their charities and you can tell it's from the heart.

S. WILLIAMS: And It is very tough, again, choosing charities that we have to do, because we have such limited time. But this charity, you can just see McDonald's is really behind it, and like I said, we live near one, a Ronald McDonald House, and you can just really feel the love and the care that actually goes into what's actually being presented, so it's something that we really, really want to be a part of it.

KAGAN: Have you following what's happening over the last week with Tiger Woods, people calling on him to boycott the Master's because women are not allowed to join Augusta National. As fellow athletes, as minority athletes, what do you think about Tiger being put in the spotlight like that?

S. WILLIAMS: I don't know, I really don't know much about that situation. I do think maybe it's kind of strange to be in the spotlight all of a sudden for this, which I know I'm glad -- to be thrown in the spotlight. It might be a bit difficult, but who knows I think it would be fair, though, however to have women play and have that same opportunity as the men, but...

KAGAN: Well, let's look at the place where you guys are just ripping up the world, and that is on the tennis courts, in women's sports, in women's tennis. It still has become a controversy, because at every single majors, the prize money for the women is not the same as men. When you look at people like you, the number one and two players in the world, does that strike you as fair?

V. WILLIAMS: At two of the majors, the prize money is equal, but at two of the others it's not. You know, things are moving forward, for sure, and things are getting better for women in sports. But I guess the main dollar amount we're thinking about today are the dollars that are donated to charity, or the Big Macs that are sold all over the world today.

KAGAN: Well, you guys are not doing too bad not only the number one and two, but also the number one and two money winners on tour right now. Some people think that's great, they love the attention you've brought to women's tennis, they love the interest that you've brought, but some critics say, oh, here we go, every major, because you're ranked number one and number two, you're going to go through the brackets and it's always going to be Venus versus Serena in the final match, and some critics saying you two do not play your best tennis when you face each other in that situation. What do you say to those critics?

S. WILLIAMS: Where is the problem, there is no problem, especially for us. No, we fight and we try and we're just happy to be out here and be healthy and we've been blessed so we're doing the best we can.

V. WILLIAMS: Definitely blessed.

KAGAN: And feeling good going into 2003? I guess the Australian the next major coming up?

S. WILLIAMS: Yes, we're looking forward to playing that, actually. We always -- that's one we've never won. So we're going to try to go down there, at least one of us try to win that.

V. WILLIAMS: Another final appearance hopefully.

KAGAN: Still up for grabs. We wish you well with your charity endeavors, and also on tour in 2003. Venus and Serena Williams, ladies, thanks for being with us today.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 20, 2002 - 11:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Venus and Serena Williams each entered the world of tennis at a young age. Both girls credit the strong influence of their father for much of their present day success on the court. The Williams sisters are both top seeded players in their own right. They are tough adversaries even as they face each other, as often happen when you reach their level of play, number one and number two in the world.
Venus and Serena Williams are joining forces with other celebrities in a global fund-raiser to benefit children in more than 100 countries, and Venus and Serena Williams join us from New York's Time Square with more on World Children's Day.

Ladies, good morning, such a pleasure to have you both with us this morning.

Venus, I got to give you a little props. I was able to go to the U.S. Open for the first time this year, and I saw one of your early -- I will call it a match, but I think it was more like a tennis lesson whoever it was you were schooling on that particular night.

VENUS WILLIAMS, TENNIS PROFESSIONAL: Thank you very much. It must have been a good match. I don't quite remember that one.

KAGAN: Because it wasn't even that memorable because those matches are going so easily for you.

Ladies, tell me what wormed children's day is all about.

V. WILLIAMS: You want to go ahead?

SERENA WILLIAMS, TENNIS PROFESSIONAL: OK. It's just -- it's a great fund and just a great charity that McDonald's has started for world children. It's a charity that benefits the Ronald McDonald House, which is a house that houses children when they're in hospitals and don't have anywhere else to stay. Their family stays in the home which is near the hospital, and it's really good because we actually live next to a Ronald McDonald's House, and we're looking forward to visiting one very soon, because we love children and love this whole thing. We're excited to be a part of the campaign.

V. WILLIAMS: We're excited to visit the children's house, we just got off of the tour and now we have some free time, finally, to do things like this and to be involved in, you know, the Ronald McDonald's World Children's Day.

KAGAN: I'm not sure how much free time you have with all the interests you have even outside of tennis.

But I'm wondering, you must get hit up or contacted to support so many causes. How do you pick and choose who gets your support or, more importantly, your time.

V. WILLIAMS: It's hard, because they're so many causes out there that are unbelievable and well worth your time, but it's just you have to pick and choose for sure. We try to choose the ones that seem to be the most trustworthy and be the most dedicated to helping, you know, children or cancer or whatever the cause may be. And for sure, World Children's Day at McDonald's, they're extremely dedicated to their charities and you can tell it's from the heart.

S. WILLIAMS: And It is very tough, again, choosing charities that we have to do, because we have such limited time. But this charity, you can just see McDonald's is really behind it, and like I said, we live near one, a Ronald McDonald House, and you can just really feel the love and the care that actually goes into what's actually being presented, so it's something that we really, really want to be a part of it.

KAGAN: Have you following what's happening over the last week with Tiger Woods, people calling on him to boycott the Master's because women are not allowed to join Augusta National. As fellow athletes, as minority athletes, what do you think about Tiger being put in the spotlight like that?

S. WILLIAMS: I don't know, I really don't know much about that situation. I do think maybe it's kind of strange to be in the spotlight all of a sudden for this, which I know I'm glad -- to be thrown in the spotlight. It might be a bit difficult, but who knows I think it would be fair, though, however to have women play and have that same opportunity as the men, but...

KAGAN: Well, let's look at the place where you guys are just ripping up the world, and that is on the tennis courts, in women's sports, in women's tennis. It still has become a controversy, because at every single majors, the prize money for the women is not the same as men. When you look at people like you, the number one and two players in the world, does that strike you as fair?

V. WILLIAMS: At two of the majors, the prize money is equal, but at two of the others it's not. You know, things are moving forward, for sure, and things are getting better for women in sports. But I guess the main dollar amount we're thinking about today are the dollars that are donated to charity, or the Big Macs that are sold all over the world today.

KAGAN: Well, you guys are not doing too bad not only the number one and two, but also the number one and two money winners on tour right now. Some people think that's great, they love the attention you've brought to women's tennis, they love the interest that you've brought, but some critics say, oh, here we go, every major, because you're ranked number one and number two, you're going to go through the brackets and it's always going to be Venus versus Serena in the final match, and some critics saying you two do not play your best tennis when you face each other in that situation. What do you say to those critics?

S. WILLIAMS: Where is the problem, there is no problem, especially for us. No, we fight and we try and we're just happy to be out here and be healthy and we've been blessed so we're doing the best we can.

V. WILLIAMS: Definitely blessed.

KAGAN: And feeling good going into 2003? I guess the Australian the next major coming up?

S. WILLIAMS: Yes, we're looking forward to playing that, actually. We always -- that's one we've never won. So we're going to try to go down there, at least one of us try to win that.

V. WILLIAMS: Another final appearance hopefully.

KAGAN: Still up for grabs. We wish you well with your charity endeavors, and also on tour in 2003. Venus and Serena Williams, ladies, thanks for being with us today.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com