RED CROSS FUNDS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20994, 22 December 1939, Page 9

RED CROSS FUNDS

SPORTS CONTRIBUTIONS £IO,OOO RAISED (Times Air Mail Service.) LONDON, Nov. 30. How are the various form of sport helping war-time charities? I have just seen the latest figures relating to the Lord Mayor’s Red Cross and St. John War Organisation Appeal, says a contributor to The Star. The sports Sub-Committee of the fund, which represents nearly every known branch of sport, has so far raised approximately £IO,OOO. Not surprising, perhaps, to find that soccer, through the medium of the F.A., leads with contributions of nearly £SOOO. But which sport, would you think, comes next? Cotton Is Second Sports like racing, boxing, Rugby, cricket or lawn tennis, seem obvious. But they are not in the hunt. No sport, but a single sportsman, is second on the list.

Henry Cotton, through his series of exhibition golf matches, has raised over £3OOO on his own. Well done, Henry!

Racing has contributed £6OO to the fund through the Jockey Club (£500) and the Ascot Grand Stand (£100). Cricket, through the M.C.C., has contributed 300 guineas, and the Rugby Union £3OO. Lawn tennis is represented by a joint donation of 250 guineas from the Lawn Tennis Association and the All-English Lawn Tennis Club. Other donations include 100 guineas each from the R.A.F. Sports Control Board and the Masters of Foxhounds Association.

That soccer has given so much more than any ether sport is due partly, of course, to the fact that the season is in full swing. Still, £SOOO is big money when one considers it was raised from club donations and the five representative matches in which F.A. teams took part at Aldershot, Everton, Cardiff, Wrexham and Reading. The F.A., incidentally, are meeting all expenses connected with the Sports Sub-Committee, of which Mr S. F. Rous is honorary secretary, and bearing all expenses of matches arranged under their jurisdiction. Lawn Tennis Plans Summer sports like lawn tennis must naturally wait until their season comes along before they can make their effort. The L.T.A., for instance, are to arrange during the summer a series of first-class games, on behalf of the fund. The English Table Tennis Association have sent letters of appeal to all League secretaries. Further, they hope to arrange exhibitions between international players, run national championships and local open tournaments, and stage an English v. French match, or English Army v. French Army match in London. Other sports bodies who have promised to raise funds are the Amateur Boxing Association, Auto-Cycle Union, Croquet Association, English Golf Union, Billiards Association and Control Council, Ladies Golf Union, Rugby Football League, and numerous others. The Stoolball Association of Great Britain, for instance, say they have no funds at their disposal, but hope to organise matches on behalf of the appeal next season. A wire brush will bring up the nap of blankets after washing. Disinfectant can be sprayed round a room if you use an old scent spray.