Pat Moran, founder of Deliver the Dream, is pleased to announce that Andy Roddick, currently the No. 1 tennis player in the U.S., will serve as spokesperson for the not-for-profit organization which provides retreat weekends for families facing serious illness or crisis.

Roddick recently recorded a public service announcement for the family retreat program that will begin airing in cities throughout the Southeast. According to Roddick, he immediately knew he wanted to get involved after learning about Deliver the Dream, which is based in his hometown of South Florida and serves families from across the Southeast.

“When a child or parent is seriously ill, Deliver the Dream is there to help the entire family find the strength to prevail. It’s this unique approach to providing support that attracted me to this incredible program,” Roddick said. “I’m really looking forward to attending my first retreat weekend and doing whatever I can to help Pat’s organization further its mission and raise money to help children and families.”

Moran, also chairman of the board of diversified automotive company JM Family Enterprises, is excited about Roddick’s commitment and passion for helping children.

“I am delighted to have Andy be a part of Deliver the Dream,” Moran said. “He is respected by people all over the world and I think it is wonderful how he is directing his popularity to help raise awareness and funds for many worthy causes. We are also thrilled to work with Andy’s foundation, which along with our organization, strives to provide a better life for families and children in need.”

The Andy Roddick Foundation (www.arfoundation.com) and Deliver the Dream share a common goal in supporting, educating and rehabilitating children and families who are experiencing serious illness or crisis. Roddick founded the organization when he was only 18 years of age, and in just four years, they have raised over $2.2 million in support of sick, abused and neglected children.

A major force in men’s tennis, Andy Roddick (www.andyroddick.com) is a true star on and off the court. His game features a blistering 140 mph serve and natural athleticism. In 2003, at age 21, Roddick became the youngest American since 1973 to finish No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings. That year also marked his best season of his career thus far with six titles on three different surfaces in eight finals. Most recently, Roddick won the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships, held in Houston, Texas last month. It is his fourth career clay court title.

At only 22, he has become the new face of tennis, appearing on numerous national television programs and print publications. Some of the most interesting profiles have included one written by Sir Elton John for Interview Magazine and one in People magazine where he was designated “Sexiest Male Athlete.” He has also been a guest on the Today Show, MTV, CNN, the Late Show with David Letterman, and even hosted Saturday Night Live.

Deliver the Dream’s four-day, three-night retreats serve families from throughout the Southeastern United States who are facing serious illness or crisis by helping them to enhance coping skills, reduce stress and cultivate relationships. Through the generosity of donors, participation is offered free of charge.

About Deliver the Dream

Pat Moran founded Deliver the Dream (www.deliverthedream.org) to provide families from throughout the Southeast with an escape from the emotional and physical stress of coping with serious illness or crisis. Retreat weekends, which were started in the fall of 2002, are free to participants and incorporate traditional recreational activities like hiking, swimming, fishing, rock wall climbing, with therapeutic workshops, peer-to-peer discussion groups and expressive arts and music activities. The retreats are held at a variety of venues, each offering comfortable family-friendly accommodations and recreational opportunities in beautiful settings. To date, those venues have included Westgate River Ranch in Lake Wales, Fla.; The Sandpiper Resort in Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Amicalola Falls Conference Center in Dawsonville, Ga., and Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. The program helps families with an ill child and also reaches out to families with an ill parent. It is designed to enhance coping skills and cultivate supportive relationships. Deliver the Dream helps families regain strength, mend spirits and just be families and kids again. To date, a total of 23 retreat weekends have assisted more than 1,200 family members throughout the Southeast. Other celebrities who have supported Deliver the Dream include Jeff Foxworthy, Craig Morgan and Wil Shriner.

For more information, call 1-888-687-3732 (OUR-DREAM).