WASHINGTON, May 14, 2020 (by Michael Dickens)
While the 2020 Wimbledon Championships have already been cancelled this summer due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, meaning there will be no summer fortnight activity at the SW19 grass courts for the first time since 1945 due to World War II, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) remains active in other ways that are helping to benefit recreational tennis and other worthy causes throughout Great Britain.
On Tuesday, the AELTC announced a series of contributions designed to support local, national and international recovery from the novel coronavirus pandemic following the cancellation of Wimbledon.
“In making these contributions, the AELTC has brought together the collective strength of the Club, The Championships and the Wimbledon Foundation, combining the use of the organization’s facilities, resources and £1.2 million of charitable giving to aid the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts across society,” a statement on Wimbledon’s website read.
“As we navigate a year without a Championships, our highest priority continues to be the health and wellbeing of all those who make Wimbledon happen and those for whom this pandemic has caused suffering and loss,” Ian Hewitt, AELTC Chairman, said in a statement on the Wimbledon website. “We strongly believe that Wimbledon has the responsibility and the capacity to act as a force for good, using our resources to help those in need, particularly in a crisis such as this.
“We have worked hard to develop a wide-ranking series of measures to provide the help that we can to those in our local and regional communities who are most affected as we begin the period of recovery, which we recognize is going to continue to cause hardships for many for some time. We continue to be humbled by the passion shown for Wimbledon by fans all around the world since our cancellation announcement, and we look forward to a time when we will be able to come together again.”
In an overview of AELTC contributions, the statement notes they have been developed based on four objectives:
• Being fair to those who make Wimbledon happen.
• Assisting local, national and international communities.
• Support the NHS and emergency services.
• Supporting their fans.
The 134th Championships will be played from June 28 to July 11, 2021.
The entire overview of AELTC contributions can be seen on the Wimbledon website, Wimbledon.com.
Still green and pleasant 💚#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Trzmzds5rP
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) May 11, 2020
