"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news," reminisced beloved children's show host Fred "Mr." Rogers, "my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" There has certainly been no shortage of scary things in the news lately. Luckily, Mr. Rogers' mother was right: there are people helping. One example of helpers at work in scary times can be found in South America. CEDIMA (pictured), an acronym of Centro de Discapacitados de La Matanza, is a training center in Buenos Aires, Argentina for table tennis players with disabilities. The club, renowned for producing Paralympic athletes, was hit hard by COVID-19. The added operating costs of maintaining a safe environment for players and staff proved prohibitive. Despite years of success, CEDIMA was unable to keep the doors open. A statement from CEDIMA underscored their bleak situation. "During the eight months of compulsory social isolation, the club quickly ran out of funds and we did not receive financial support from the state," they wrote. "We could not afford disinfectants nor equipment to keep training. Our members have great potential, and it hurts to see them losing hope in advancing in their favorite sport." Luckily, the International Table Tennis Foundation (ITTF) has prepared for exactly this type of situation. Last year, the ITTF launched a fundraiser called TableTennisUnited, dedicated to supporting table tennis clubs, especially those promoting equity and social justice, in times of need. Through the support of the TableTennisUnited Fund, CEDIMA now has the resources needed to carry on advancing para table tennis in South America. While such examples of institutional philanthropy are always encouraging, the power of individual efforts cannot be overlooked. One player repeatedly proving this point is Quadri Aruna, Africa's top-ranked player at world #21. In his latest of many examples of private philanthropy, Aruna has taken it upon himself to materially support six promising young players from his native Nigeria. "I am using this opportunity to thank the table tennis family for their support in this trying time and to urge us to stay safe as we continue to fight this pandemic globally," said Aruna. "In my usual way of giving back to society, as well as supporting new talents in Nigeria, I will be supporting some players at the 2021 NTTF National Championships and I wish all the players best of luck and let the tournament begin!" While there has always been trouble in the world, it is comforting to know that it persists in eliciting kindness. "To this day," continued Mr. Rogers, "especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in the world." Thanks to the philanthropic efforts of Quadri Aruna, TableTennisUnited, and so many other unsung helpers, the games will go on.

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