Roger Federer

© UNICEF/HQ06-1183/Berkwitz

Tennis world champion and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer records a public service announcement on HIV/AIDS.

Top-ranked tennis player Roger Federer recently taped a video message for the UNITE FOR CHILDREN  UNITE AGAINST AIDS global campaign. In the 30-second spot, the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador talks about the terrible impact of HIV/AIDS on children.

A commitment to children

Mr. Federer became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in April 2006.

“I am honoured to join the ranks of UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassadors,” he said at his appointment ceremony. “I’ve been lucky in life and able to pursue my passion for tennis since I was six years old. It’s important to me to help the many children throughout the world who do not have the basic resources they need.”

Mr. Federer’s commitment to the well-being of children was clear even before his appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador. In 2003, he established the Roger Federer Foundation to help children in need, primarily in South Africa. And in 2005, he helped organize an exhibition tournament to raise relief funds for UNICEF in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami.