Tsitsipas donates autographed racket to Greek-Australian foundation
Greek star tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas has always claimed to have a soft spot for the Greeks Down Under, who welcome and cheer him on as their hero at the Australian Open every year.
So it was without hesitation that the world number five responded to Neos Cosmos contributor, Katerina Hatzi, for an autographed racket, on behalf of Zoe Petropoulos, a Greek girl from Melbourne who was born with neurofibromatosis.
Zoé Petropoulos, the face of fires of hope Foundation, was thrilled, as it has spent the past four years empowering the thousands of Australians who live with fear of the unknown and suffer from this rare disease that has no cure.
Neurofibromatosis is a rare genetic disease that can cause bone deformities, learning disabilities, hearing and vision loss, and chronic pain throughout the body.
Through the Flicker of Hope Foundation, which her family established in 2018, the 21-year-old’s only ambition is to raise funds for much-needed research in the field, so that the medical community can better understand the disease and how to treat it, give hope to those affected. So far, the foundation has raised over $1,300,000 in just three years, 100% of which is being used to fund critical groundbreaking research.
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ racket bearing his autograph has been custom-framed for the auction which will take place next week during the free family event “Kicking butt for NF Research” planned by the foundation.
Featuring AFL legends, the event kicks off on Tuesday April 12 at 4pm with a free football clinic for kids at the Port Melbourne Football Club.
There will be photo and autograph opportunities with AFL legends such as Peter Daicos, Sam Mitchell, Ben Johnson, Dermott Brereton, Robert DiPierdomenico, among others. The Greek star’s racket auction will begin after dinner, scheduled for 6 p.m.
Anyone interested in bidding, even if unable to attend, can contact the Foundation on 0412499524.
For more information about the Flicker of Hope Foundation, visit www.flickerofhope.org.au or follow them on Facebook.