Serena Williams Helps Donate 4.5 Million Face Masks to Underserved Schools Across the US
As parents and school districts scramble to cobble together a school year this fall, Serena Williams has taken an extraordinary step to help ensure children’s safety. The 23-grand-slam-champion has teamed up with clothing company Bella+Canvas, the National School Board Association, and Scholastic in order to provide the face coverings to schools in need.
The project will also provide educational materials to 54 million children across 115,000 schools in the country. That’s a lot of kids touched by Williams’ generosity! In addition to announcing the initiative, Williams also revealed that she’ll be competing in this year’s US Open.
“Getting back to school this fall means having #masksforkids to wear.”
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“I’m grateful to be able to help educate our schools about this resource, and to be given the opportunity to serve so many students,” the tennis superstar wrote on Instagram.
“Through the #MasksForKids program, schools can access affordable masks and educational materials, quickly,” Williams continued. “In addition to donating 4.25 million masks, another mask will be donated for each one purchased by the schools. I’m grateful to be able to help educate our schools about this resource, and to be given the opportunity to serve so many students.”
The former world no. 1 also announced she be playing the US Open next month.
Williams announced she is excited to play at this year’s US Open after there were doubts the 38-year-old would participate in New York later next month.
The US Tennis Association has proposed strict safety measures to enable the grand slam to take place. Then association has suggested creating a bubble for players at an airport hotel outside Manhattan, where most players usually stay. Entourage numbers will also be reduced to one per player. We wonder if Williams will be wearing one of the masks Bella+Canvas face masks.
Williams’ coach tossed water on the idea of her playing just days before she announced she’d compete.
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Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou told CNN he doubted she would play in New York if her family and daughter, Olympia, couldn’t be there with her.
“Will she be OK to be three weeks without a daughter? I doubt it,” Mouratoglou explained. “She’s never been one day without her … but only she can answer this question.”
We’re thrilled to see this superstar hit the court again.
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Another grand slam victory, the last of which she won at the 2017 Australian Open, would see Williams tie with Margaret Court‘s all-time record of 24. We know fans would be more than eager to celebrate that record broken.
We are so excited that Williams has chosen to play the US Open. We’re also very grateful that she’s taken steps to help schoolchildren around the country a little safer.
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“To reduce the spread of COVID-19, CDC recommends that people wear masks in public settings when around people outside of their household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain,” according to recommendations from the CDC.
Masks help slow the spread of COVID-19 and should hopefully ease some parents’ fears over kids returning to school.
Chicago based writer who enjoys finding the best of the internet. Cheese and crackers are a mood.
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