Disasters hit the world ceaselessly in 2020, but Roger Federer was there putting in the effort to help those affected, whether it in the case of the Australian bushfire crisis, the disadvantaged African children or the ones deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Swiss Maestro donated over $5 million across the first 5 months of the year. His first contribution to charity was in January when the Rally For Relief took place. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal announced a donation of over $170,000 to help the efforts of authorities and NGOs in the fight against the bushfires that burned an estimated amount of 18.6 million hectares of Australian land.
“It’s been difficult, you know?” Federer said at the time. “You wish that this doesn’t happen in your country. In Switzerland we’re quite lucky we don’t have these types of extreme situations, so always happy to help, always happy to lend my time or my money for that matter….and at least do my fair share”.
With not too much tennis played in 2020, we argue that the Cape Town exhibition organized by Roger Federer Foundation under the name “Match For Africa 6” has been one of the highlights of the season. Federer along with Bill Gates, Nadal and Trevor Noah threw on quite a show in front of over 50,000 spectators while raising more than $3 million for poor African children.
“It was such a privilege to be here tonight. Of course we want to try to play the best tennis we can, that’s what we’re world-famous for. It was an absolute pleasure to share the court with Rafa again, but the first time here in beautiful Cape Town in South Africa means so much more.
It really is very, very special on so many levels,” Federer said on court after the exhibition. But this isn’t all. Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka, decided to donate $1 million to help the coronavirus-affected families in Switzerland.
Until now, Roger’s natal country has registered over 30,000 cases of COVID-19 and about 1,600 of those ended with deaths. “We must help families in need quickly and unbureaucratically,” Federer wrote on Instagram on March 25th.
“Mirka and I have donated to a newly established emergency assistance fund for families in Switzerland.” Lastly, Roger Federer surpassed the $5 million mark by donating another million dollars to poor African children and their families. His deed will help to provide meals for an approximate number of 64,000 Africans.
