Group inspired by the need to urgently support foundation Tennis Canada programming in a time of unprecedented financial pain.
Tennis Canada is delighted to announce that a group of its current and former board members have come together to match donations for the (Re)build a #TennisNation campaign dollar for dollar up to $200,000. This latest wave of support for the campaign means that your donations are effectively worth eight times their initial amount.
The group includes a mix of incumbent and alumni directors who have helped steer Tennis Canada through the recent decades of substantial growth, including the bold decision to establish a National Training Centre in Montréal, which opened in 2007, and subsequent regional feeder programs which have helped many Canadian players achieve unprecedented global success.
The pledge comes following Bianca Andreescu, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Co-CEO of Spin Master Anton Rabie’s commitment to personally match donations dollar for dollar up to $50,000 each. These funds will help grow the sport at all levels and maintain key high-performance pathways for the nation’s elite players.
“The campaign has really taken on a life of its own,” commented Jennifer Bishop, Tennis Canada’s Chair of the Board. “We have always had dedicated board members who truly believed in the vision for Canada becoming a world-leading tennis nation. This unprecedented pledge, inspired by the generosity of two Canadian players in their early twenties to give back, is a major statement in refusing to let Canadian tennis to take a major step backwards because of the pandemic. In turn, we hope the collective gift inspires many Canadian tennis fans to also give back to the sport they love to play and follow as fans.”
“The funds raised from this campaign will make a difference to our tennis development investment next year, which is slated to be reduced significantly as a result of the postponement of our Rogers Cup events,” said Sebastien LeBlanc, former pro player, current Tennis Canada Board Member and Chair of its Tennis Development Committee. “It is imperative that the younger generation of tennis players across the country receive the support they deserve. This campaign will not come close to filling the entire funding shortfall, but it will make a difference. We hope that fans across the country will join us and donate.”
Donations can be made online by visiting www.tenniscanada.com/donate. The (Re)build a #TennisNation campaign officially launched last week on Tennis Canada’s digital platforms and runs until the end of December.
