Cindy Brinker Simmons Earns Highest ITA Award
Cindy Brinker Simmons, the founder of Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer and a Preston Hollow neighbor, was awarded the 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association David A. Benjamin Award.
The award is the highest given by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the governing body of collegiate tennis. It pays tribute to past participants in the world of varsity tennis who have achieved excellence in their chosen careers.
Brinker Simmons attended the University of Virginia and worked in public relations for 30 years. She retired in 2012 to pursue writing and is completing her second book. Throughout her career, in addition to starting Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer in 1980 in honor of her mother, tennis champion Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly, who died of cancer at age 34, she has served on numerous nonprofit board and ministries.
She serves as the president of the Maureen Connolly Brinker tennis foundation. The organization is one of the largest private junior tennis foundations of its kind worldwide, and Brinker Simmons oversees the “Little Mo” junior tournaments and the foundation’s multidimensional programs.
The David A. Benjamin Award honors both professional success and contributions to society, made either through humanitarian efforts or through a direct result of a career.
