Murray, Children Of The Andes Presented ATP ACES For Charity Grant

© Getty ImagesJamie Murray and Children of the Andes Executive Director Rachel Joseph receive an ATP ACES for Charity grant.

Jamie Murray received an ATP ACES For Charity grant, to benefit Children of the Andes, in a special ceremony Friday at the Queen’s Club. The British doubles player, accompanied by wife Alejandra and Children of the Andes Executive Director Rachel Joseph, accepted a €10,000 cheque from ATP Supervisor Tom Barnes.

“My wife is Colombian and when she was a young girl she was involved in the charity at school,” said Murray. “It was something she was passionate about. I felt very strongly about it as well, and we started to get involved in it, and we applied for the ATP ACES for Charity grant last year and the money is going to go to a great cause.

“COTA raises money and they distribute it to various charities in Colombia. It’s all about helping children - children that have been sexually exploited, children that have lost their homes through the civil conflict that’s gone on in Colombia, and helping to build schools to put children through education.”

The grant will benefit the project, ‘Reducing and Preventing the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children’, which will provide support to child survivors, create awareness of the problem, and help improve the accessibility of protective services to at-risk children and families.

Murray is among 14 recipients of the 2012 ATP ACES For Charity grants, supporting a range of causes worldwide, from children’s social services and youth enrichment programmes to healthcare, HIV/AIDS education and earthquake relief. The ATP ACES For Charity programme, launched in 2011, is a global initiative aimed at giving back to communities where ATP World Tour events are played, as well as recognising and supporting tournament and player charitable initiatives.

“A lot of athletes have their own charities nowadays, it’s nice to be able to do something that you feel passionate about,” said Murray.

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