Rossi shows support for Italian quake victims
Added on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Rossi shows support for Italian quake victims
World champion Valentino Rossi demonstrated his support to the victims of the recent earthquake in Abruzzo at the weekend’s MotoGP opener in Qatar and has donated his income from an Italian newspaper column to support the victims of the tragedy.
Rossi displayed a message of support on his Yamaha YZF-M1 at the weekend’s MotoGP opener in Losail following the earthquake that left 291 dead and more than 28,000 people homeless in and around the city of L’Aquila, central Italy.
Ducati riders Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa also displayed messages of support on their bikes during the Qatar GP and a minutes silence was held on the grid before the start of the race.
Earlier in the week, the 30-year-old announced that he would be donating his fee from a national newspaper column to the victim’s fund.
Rossi will write a regular feature throughout the MotoGP season for Italy’s most-read newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport and has arranged with the paper to support the good cause.
“It wouldn’t be right (to make money for the column). We’ve decided with La Gazzetta to give my earnings to charity,” he told the newspaper ahead of Sunday’s race.
“I think that’s the least I can do given that I’ll be doing it for fun. For this season we’ll give it to the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake.
“I think that’s the most important thing at this moment in time.”
