A fundraising initiative organised by Temple of Tennis today is seeking to raise $9,000 for Kumani Jackson, a promising tennis player who was seriously injured in a crash that killed her mother and grandmother.

Supported by the Bermuda Lawn Tennis and Association as well as The Berkeley Institute, Jackson’s former school, the charity event is taking place at Port Royal courts.

Before the fatal high-speed collision in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last August, Jackson was on her way up in tennis. The 18-year-old was one of Bermuda’s top junior players and had already represented the island in the Billie Jean King Cup.

Hugh Seymour, the Temple of Tennis vice-president, said his group were determined to play a part in providing financial and emotional support for their former player.

“We are encouraging Bermudians to come out in support of Kumani and her family as they go through this challenging time,” he said.

“At Temple of Tennis, when we heard that she had gotten into a bad accident while on her way to school in Florida, we thought we should do something as a tennis community.

“This is our way of showing that tennis is just not about competition — we care about each other on and off the court.

“We’re officially starting at 11am and going on up to 6pm. There will be games or challenges, where people can make a donation and play tennis.

“Kumani is in Bermuda at the moment, walking and talking. She still requires daily care but will have to travel back overseas for more intensive physical therapy to aid her recovery journey.

“This is someone who has represented Bermuda in the Billie Jean King Cup. She also played for most of the clubs on the island.

“She still has a long journey to recovery ahead of her. It would be good to see her back on the tennis court in the future.”

Meanwhile, scores of schoolchildren recently attended the Chubb in the Schools at WER Joell Tennis Stadium.

The long-running initiative, sponsored by Chubb, aims to introduce primary schoolchildren to the sport of tennis, highlighting it as an alternative for exercise, discipline and good sportsmanship.

According to the BLTA, these coaches were actively visiting schools and providing tennis instruction during physical education classes, building excitement for the annual event.

The participating schools included Port Royal, Paget Primary, BHS, Northlands, Victor Scott, West Pembroke, Somersfield Academy, Elliot, Harrington Sound and Francis Patton.

Coach Evan Heyliger expressed his gratitude for the programme’s impact in increasing the number of tennis players on the island.

“We’re very grateful to Chubb, the sponsors that make the tennis in the schools programme possible,” he said.

“Events like this introduce tennis to students who would otherwise never play. We’re grateful to have been able to run a successful, fun and competitive day.

“We hope that this continues to inspire more students to play tennis, as it has already brought a number of students into the world’s healthiest sport.”