The joy and the noise level were both sky high when W Initiative organized “Tennisfest with Casper Ruud”, for local children in September 2024. After two years at Lade in Trondheim, the event was held in Furuset in Oslo, where around 250 children from Alna and Groruddalen participated. The Tennis event is a part of the foundation’s work to increase quality of life for children and young people. It’s an event the board look forward to every year.
Before a show match between Casper Ruud and Victor Durasovic, the general manager of Furuset IF Tennis, Ingrid Huus was called up in front of a packed stand, together with her father Jan Huus, who started the club, and manager of Furuset IF, Rune Gjelberg. CEO of W Initiative, Eirik B. Sletten, then proceeded to hand a check for one million NOK to a slightly shocked tennis family. The money will go to support the work Furuset IF Tennis does to include children in sport.
- The donation from the foundation means a lot to us. We work every day to ensure that as many children and young people as possible can experience the joy of tennis, but we know that many in Groruddalen are excluded from the sport because of financial barriers. Getting such a generous donation will help us a lot, for a long time to come, in being able to develop what we can offer to this target group. The goal is to get even more people involved, and for them to stay with us longer and longer. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunities W Initiative have given us so that we may help others!
In the justification for the donation, Sletten said:
- Furuset IF Tennis governs according to the same principles as our foundation. Increased quality of life for children and young people and better opportunities. Furuset IF does a great job as a “Neighborhood Club” and takes on extended responsibilities. We wanted to thank them for their cooperation with Tennisfesten and help ensure that they can continue with the wonderful work they do." Said General Manager of W Initiative, Eirik Bøe Sletten.
At the event this Sunday, the children had a go at sports such as tennis, football, ice hockey and handball. The activities were led by skilled coaches and youth coaches, as well as Gustav Magnar Witzøe, Casper Ruud and his father Christian Ruud.
The children also got to witness a football tennis match where father and son Ruud played against Onur and Tobias from the Furuset Fotball team, before Casper played a show match against the recent Norwegian tennis champion, Viktor Durasovic. It was a fast-paced tennis match from which Ruud emerged victorious.
Chairman and founder of W Initiative, Gustav M. Witzøe participated as usual as coach and co-player with the children.
- It strikes me every time we do this, just how great the joy of sport can be. For many of these children, this is their first encounter with organized sport. Us adults think about how important sport is for cohesion, inclusion and belonging. While the children are just having a lot of fun, not thinking at all, just doing. It was nice to be able to surprise the hard-working people in Furuset Tennis as well, to support the important work they do.
Casper Ruud is impressed by the sporting results the club has managed to achieve.
— Furuset Tennis has become an institution, thanks to Jan and now Ingrid. Before coming here, I was aware of the good sporting results they have achieved. After today, I also see why. The work they do with children and young people is amazing to see, says Casper Ruud.
Previous Tennis Party events:
There was a great atmosphere when tennis star Casper Ruud met children from first to seventh grade at Lade in Trondheim last December. The interest from the children and the local sports teams was so great that we quickly decided to make this an annual event. The second tennis festival in history was organized on December 2nd 2023.
- It was incredibly fun to be here again and I am touched that so many children came who have neither played tennis nor played sports before, said our Global Ambassador Casper Ruud after the event in 2023.
This event is part of our work to increase the quality of life for children and young people. Several of the children who came are already involved in sports, but for many, this was the first time they set foot in a sports gymnasium. And this year we have managed to invite even more children who, for various reasons, have not had the opportunity to participate in organized sports.
More cuts in children's sports activities
As a follow-up to the tennis festival 2022 Witzøe created a local sports fund to help more children and young people participate in sports.
In 2024 the W Initiative sports fund doubles to NOK 2 million.The fund will be distributed to local clubs and sports teams in Trøndelag and the goal is that even more children will have the opportunity to participate in organized sports.
“I grew up playing sports, and have seen how important it is for children's quality of life. it is meaningful to be able to contribute to as many people as possible experiencing the same.”
— Founder and chairman of the board
