Michael's Charity Work!!!

One thing that Michael loves about being a high-profile athlete is his ability to contribute to charities. He was elected by his fellow players as the 1994 ATP Tour Charities Chairman, and headed activities such as visiting children's hospitals. He was also the captain of a kids' tennis clinic at the French Open.

Michael loves to help children in particular, and has set up the Michael Chang Charity Foundation (to which 100% of the proceeds from his fan club fees contribute). He is also very much interested in promoting tennis in Asia. He established the Stars of the Future program in 1992 for underprivileged children in Hong Kong, which has provided tennis equipment and coaching for over 3,000 children. Michael also participates in the Reebok Challenge, and is an underwriter of the Hong Kong Tennis Association, having shot hoops once in a fun basketball event to help raise money for teenage pregnancy awareness program. He has also appeared on video documentaries speaking out against drugs, as well as a documentary with *Cantopop* stars (!), such as Jacky Cheung, to encourage teens to study hard and stay in school as part of a suicide prevention program sponsored by the Hong Kong Department of Education.

In the U.S., Michael was one of 35 celebrities to join the American Library Association READ! program, to help stop illiteracy. He also does numerous clinics through Reebok and Prince, and is a spokesman for the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. As the Charities Chairman, he visited children's hospitals, sports camps, and youth groups to give testimonies and chat with fans. With several other players, Michael participated in some exhibition matches to benefit the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS. To promote education, Michael set up the Chang Family Tennis Scholarship Fund at the University of California at Berkeley (Carl's alma mater), and heads an exhibition weekend there every year.

One of Michael's most thoughtful actions was heading an exhibition day of matches to raise money for earthquake victims in Kobe, Japan. Shortly before the 1995 Japan Open began, he asked fellow players (including Thomas Enqvist, Wayne Ferreira, Shuzo Matsuoka, Kimiko Date, and Ai Sugiyama) to join him in a series of clinics and matches. The day included a kids' clinic headed by Michael and a mixed doubles match, Matsuoka/Date vs. Chang/Sugiyama (and for those who are dying to know, Chang/Sugiyama won in a tie break).

It's no wonder, then, that USA Today Weekend rewarded Michael for his warm heart by naming him one of the five "Most Caring Athletes" for 1995. And on Jan. 1, 2000, Michael and his family launched the Chang Family Foundation, which will act as a global Christian tennis ministry of sorts, concentrating on youth in Asia.