Naomi Osaka will donate any prize money she wins at an upcoming tournament to help relief efforts following Saturday’s 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti, which left more than 700 dead.
Naomi Osaka pledges tennis winnings for Haiti earthquake relief
“It really hurts to see all the devastation happening in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break,” the 23-year-old tennis star, whose father is from Haiti, wrote on social media Saturday night.
“I’m about to play a tournament this week and will give all the prize money to Haiti relief efforts,” he added, referring to the Western & Southern Open.
Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break. I’m about to play a tournament this week and I’ll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we’ll keep rising 🇭🇹❤️🙏🏾
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) August 14, 2021
In addition to the lives that have been lost since the quake struck, hundreds more have been injured or missing, according to Reuters.
The quake struck about five miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes and about 78 miles west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince, reducing buildings in nearby towns to rubble.
“The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible from under the rubble. We have learned that local hospitals, particularly in Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with injured and fractured people,” PrimeMinisterArielHenry said Saturday. the Associated Press.
“The needs are enormous.
We must care for the injured and fractured, but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter and psychological support.”
Osaka, who recently returned from the Tokyo Olympics, has a long history of using his platform to shine a light on important causes.
Earlier this year, the athlete, whose mother is Japanese, condemned anti-Asian hatred amid a rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community.
