Ecuadorian Tennis Rallies For Earthquake Relief

Former ATP pros, led by Andres Gomez, Luis Adrian Morejon, Raul Antonio Viver, Nicolas Lapentti and Giovanni Lapentti, have come together to support the victims of Saturday’s earthquake in their home country of Ecuador.

Through the Ecuadorian Federation of Tennis (FET), they seek to centralise efforts to collect clothing, canned food and money for the people affected by the tragedy.

“The FET invites all our tennis community to contribute with [donations]: food, mattresses, medicine, awnings, insect repellent, clothing, water and even toilet paper,” wrote Alberto March G. in a statement on the FET website. He added that the items “will be stockpiled in the FET in Lomas de Urdesa headquarters, and will be shipped to Pedernales in helicopters, under coordination with the Ministry of Environment”.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck the province of Manabí, located 110 miles from Quito, leaving more than 600 dead, 12,000 injured and hundreds missing across the country.

“After this tragedy in my country, I feel even more proud to be Ecuadorian and see how the whole community has rallied to help all victims and families affected after the earthquake,” said Nicolas Lapentti. “I wanted to contribute and, through the local Tennis Federation and the tennis community, help the victims, leaving instructions for people to make donations in this place and trying to alleviate this difficult time.”

The former World No. 6 is also auctioning the shoes he wore during his last match at Roland Garros (in 2010), and will donate the money to earthquake relief efforts.

Individuals can make donations to the Ecuadorian Red Cross.