Ralph Lauren celebrates 150 individual essential workers from New York’s Mount Sinai Health System by emblazoning their names on the back of each of the 2020 ball person uniforms
At the 2020 US Open, New York City’s unsung heroes took centre stage as, luxury brand, Ralph Lauren honours frontline workers, on the lines of the USTA Billie Jean King National Center’s centre court.
The names of over 150 individual essential workers from New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System will be emblazoned on the back of each of the 2020 ball person uniforms, in recognition of their incredible efforts in the battle against COVID-19 in New York City – the worldwide centre of the global pandemic. In-depth profiles of nine of these frontline workers will be spotlighted on the brand’s website and through a social media campaign.
“Ralph Lauren is celebrating a different kind of hero at the tournament this year – the selfless men and women who are risking their lives every single day out on the frontlines. The return of the US Open is such an inspirational milestone for New York City and we wanted to honour the bravery of the frontline workers and the unwavering resiliency of the city in these unprecedented times,” said David Lauren, Vice Chairman and Chief Innovation Officer.
For the first time ever, the US Open is being held without spectators, and all on-court US Open staff will wear the Polo High-Filtration Face Mask. The specially designed mask is constructed to filter out 95% of airborne particles with replaceable filters and is treated with an anti-microbial coating to preserve fabric freshness.
The masks will be available for purchase on Ralphlauren.com and the Polo App beginning in October, and 100% of the profits from the sale of the masks will be donated to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organisation, powered by the United Nations Foundation.
In addition, Ralph Lauren will donate 50k units of tennis and athletic clothing products to the USTA Foundation, which supports nationwide programmes that provide low-cost tennis instruction and education to children in underserved communities, as part of the Company’s recently announced donation of approximately 1.5 million units to support families in need and frontline workers.
This builds on the Company’s overall commitment to COVID-19 relief efforts, including the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation’s US$10m/£7.6m pledge and the production of 250k masks and 25k gowns for frontline workers.
Polo Ralph Lauren has been the Official Outfitter of the US Open Tennis Championships since 2005, providing uniforms for all on-court officials and ball persons. The 2020 US Open Polo Shirt was created through Polo’s “Create-Your-Own” programme, which allows customers to create fully customised apparel, and is available for purchase online at RalphLauren.com and on the Polo App for the duration of the tournament.
