On November 18th, 2008 Han van Eijk, CFO (in the middle of the picture), and Chantal van Oss, Head of Human Resources of Cardif, a BNP Paribas subsidiary,  attended a wheelchair tennis training, organized by the Tennis on Wheels foundation. They were there to hand in  €2,500  worth of donations.

The money was raised through voluntary actions. During the Brease Singelloop marathon in October, Cardif’s employees decided to use this big sports event in order to help another sport, which enjoys a lot less popularity:  wheelchair tennis. They sold lottery tickets, and 18 of them even took part of the marathon, all crossing the finish line.

The Tennis on Wheels foundation, recepient of this donation, organises numerous sports events for young and senior wheelchair tennis players. It also runs a stimulation fund, devoted to helping wheelchair tennis players afford their preparation and practice their favorite sport.

Disabled tennis players encounter a lot of difficulties when it comes to trainings. Often times they have to travel far away to find suitable conditions to play. The parents of many disabled children, who want to play wheelchair tennis, cannot afford these expenses.

At the end of the training session, the award was given to coach Gerard van Leusden (right on the picture) and Rody de Bie (left on the picture). Rody, who just turned 14,  is already listed number 18 on Men’s tennis ranklinst in the Netherlands.