Knowles, Blake, Haas, Roddick & Bob Bryan Support Hurricane Dorian Relief Efforts

Mark Knowles and fellow tennis pros rallied over the weekend to raise more than US $100,000 for Hurricane Dorian recovery and relief in The Bahamas during the inaugural Baha Mar Cup. Tommy Haas, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Bob Bryan, Coco Gauff and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario joined in the fundraising efforts over the three-day event, held at the The Baha Mar Racquet Club.

“It has truly been an honor to be involved in this tournament, especially alongside fellow peers and close friends who answered my call when I asked them to participate and come down to The Bahamas,” said Knowles. “The Bahamas has always been my home and to play the sport I love in support of this beautiful country and my fellow Bahamians is extraordinary.”

The weekend kicked off with a Welcome Dinner on Friday evening, where guests enjoyed a special acoustic performance by country music star Charles Esten and also bid on auction items, including the opportunity to play in Saturday’s Pro-Am Tournament, Super Bowl tickets, racquets from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, items donated by Nick Kyrgios and a BNP Paribas Open package. The main events took place on Saturday morning, when the tennis pros coached a special youth clinic for more than 80 children from the Bahamian community.

“When you saw the pictures of the devastation that the hurricane caused to the Bahamas it was unimaginable,” said Haas. “We had a lot of people get involved…. It was a great turnout and everyone had a good time. It was nice to give back to people who are in need.”

Blake added, "The tennis community is so close-knit and when someone asks for any sort of event that hits them close to home, the answer is always a yes if it’s possible... Knowing how much Mark Knowles has been the flag bearer for the Bahamas, we knew it was so close to home for him and his family, so we all did what we could to help. It’s a privilege that for us, we still get to do what we love (play tennis) and it is a way to help those that have had tragic circumstances. It may be a small step, but let’s hope it becomes a tradition and we can keep helping this cause."

By raising over $100,000, The Baha Mar Cup is the largest fundraising event to date in support of Hurricane Dorian. The Baha Mar also gave $2 million in the early stages of the post-hurricane relief efforts and was one of the first local companies to make a contribution.

“This will take a while and time to help the devastation to so many areas in the Bahamas,” said Knowles. “This is the first of many events. We have a plan to help in the future and pros are already committed to next year’s event.”

The second annual Baha Mar Cup will be held from 6-8 November 2020.

Support the victims of Hurricane Dorian by donating directly at: www.BahaMar.com/Dorian.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/34UgOyd