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Skeleton racer supports #TargetEbola

13 | 11 | 2014

Three-time New Zealand Olympic Skeleton racer Ben Sandford has voiced his concern about the ongoing Ebola crisis and in a YouTube video plea has urged fellow Olympians to support the WOA’s #TargetEbola campaign, which aims to raise funds to help stop the spread of Ebola in West Africa.

The #TargetEbola campaign was launched last month following a plea from two-time Sierra Leone Olympian Dr Francis Dove Edwin. Edwin, who has been appointed to the Presidential task force to fight the spread of Ebola in his home country, appealed to the WOA to help raise funds to combat the virus. 

The WOA has joined forces with Oxfam, a world leader in emergency response, and US-based humanitarian organisation, Medisend International, global innovators in transforming healthcare systems in developing countries, to deliver much needed supplies to West Africa.

In a video statement to Olympians and the sporting movement around the world, three-time Olympian Ben Sandford, said:

“The WOA has created a campaign to raise awareness and donation to help fight Ebola. Please go to TargetEbola.org. Please donate as I have and tell other Olympians, friends and family about the Target Ebola campaign. Together we can be part of the global effort to fight Ebola and help those in need.” 

Ben Sandford, has represented New Zealand in the skeleton at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games, and currently acts as Vice President of Legal Affairs for the sport’s governing body the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT).  

Sandford joins a growing list of Olympians supporting the #TargetEbola campaign, including the fastest man in the world and six-time Olympic Gold Medallist Usain Bolt, and other Olympic legends such as HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Carl Lewis, Sergey Bubka, Claudia Bokel, Koji Murofushi, Pernilla Wiberg and Yang Yang.

The WOA is appealing to the rest of its 100,000 strong Olympian community around the world to get involved and promote #TargetEbola, the donation link,www.targetebola.org/donate, and the SMS details, Text TARGET to 70066 [UK only], by posting selfies via social media.

The #TargetEbola selfie kit can be downloaded here: www.targetebola.org/selfie

Olympians and the general public are encouraged to print off the kit and pose for a selfie. Alternatively anyone can write #TargetEbola, www.targetebola.org/donate and the SMS number on a piece of paper and take a selfie with it.