Tennis fans get in the swing with charity lob

Media Release

UNICEF (UN Children’s Fund)

Tennis fans get in the swing with charity lob

Wellington 16 January 2009. – Usually it’s just one ball going back and forth in tennis, but earlier this week a court at the ASB Tennis Centre was deluged with more than 3,000 balls lobbed by enthusiastic fans.  

The charity fundraiser at the Heineken Open Tennis Championships in Auckland raised more than $3,300 for UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) work helping vulnerable children around the world. This topped last year’s figure of just under $2,900.

A team of 24 UNICEF volunteers sold numbered tennis balls to the audience. During a break in the men’s open play, fans did their best to get their tennis balls into barrels, one on each side of the net.

UNICEF Ambassador and MTV host Jay Reeve was on hand to select the winner, who received a Roger Federer tennis racquet.

Mr Reeve says that the crowd and volunteers really got into the spirit of the event which was a fun way to support a good cause.    

“As a passionate advocate for children, UNICEF is carrying out aid and development work in more than 150 countries around the world.

“For example, UNICEF is providing emergency aid in humanitarian crises such as those currently taking place in Gaza, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Fiji. It is also encouraging and fostering child health, education and protection in developing countries.

“I would like to thank Auckland Tennis for their support, as well as the dedicated group of volunteers that gave up their time to make the lobbo such a great success.”

UNICEF Volunteer Co-ordinator, Janice Dowle (of Auckland’s North Shore) says that the UNICEF volunteers included Rotary exchange students, and staff from ANZ and ING.

ends

© Scoop Media