Aces For Homes Program Continues to Thrive

Among the many off-court events held during the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, one of the most important was a cheque presentation made at the end-of-season players' party. With Nadia Petrova and Dinara Safina on hand, it was announced that in the course of 2008 the Tour's players had served enough aces at €10 a pop to raise €105,450 (around $132,000) for the international housing charity, Habitat for Humanity.
 
Now in its third year, the Tour's Aces for Homes initiative is run in concert with Tour sponsor Whirpool, which has been involved with Habitat for Humanity for nine years. So far, more than €372,000 has been raised for the charity's 'Women Build' program, which is designed to recruit, train and empower women to build housing with female-headed families. As a result of this year’s efforts, 13 families can now look forward to a warm winter in their new home, while the lives of five more families will be rebuilt before the end of the year.
 
"The players really believe in Aces for Homes," said Serena Williams, who contributed hundreds of aces to the cause - raising over €3,390 in the process. "Everyone wants to score the perfect ace; it takes skill, concentration and accuracy and when you serve one up it can really excite the crowd and up your game. Knowing that each ace raises money for Habitat makes it all the more special."
 
The Women Build program benefits many families around Europe whose health and well-being are threatened by inadequate housing. Unfortunately, this social problem disproportionately affects women and children. To address this trend, Whirlpool is committed to diversity, inclusion and the empowerment of women to achieve the best possible lives for themselves and their families.
 
"Habitat for Humanity is an important and highly valued partner for Whirlpool," said Dino Olivetti, Brand Director Whirlpool Europe. "We are delighted by the amount of money raised from this year's Aces initiative and would like to extend our deep gratitude to the Tour's players who have once again performed so admirably."
 
In addition to Aces for Homes, in the lead-up to this year's Wimbledon, a Habitat building event in London enjoyed a special and unique surprise when Maria Kirilenko and Agnes Szavay arrived on site to deliver a selection of Whirlpool household appliances. 
 
And in April, female staff members of Whirlpool and the Tour volunteered to rebuild the home of a single mother and her daughter in Braga, Portugal. Volunteers came from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK; the build was completed in June when a delighted homeowner was given the keys to her renovated home. Prior to this, Petrova returned in her role as an official ambassador, joined by Szavay, to re-launch Aces for Homes at the Open Gaz de France in Paris.
 
"The Aces for Homes programme is a tribute to the commitment of Whirlpool and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and is a shining example of the players giving back to communities throughout the world," said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. "Our players are role models for women, and the Women Build’ programme is designed not only to provide housing to families in need, but also to empower women."
 
Lee Martin, Resource and Development Director, Africa and Middle East, Habitat for Humanity added: "The excellent support received from Whirlpool and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour over the years has helped many families out of slum dwellings into simple, decent homes. In addition, the combined partnership has also helped to raise awareness and address the issue of inadequate housing across Europe." 
 
Money raised via the 2008 Aces for Homes programme has been distributed across a total of 21 female-headed households from countries including Poland (two homes), Romania (three), Portugal (one), Slovakia (four), Kyrgyzstan (five), the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (three) and Hungary (three).
 
Because this year's donation exceeded the required amount to complete the 2008 planned builds, in 2009 three extra families in Hungary will benefit from the number of aces delivered around the world in 2008.

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