On the eve of the first Grand Slam of the year, some of the highest ranking tennis stars (Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic, among others) decided to give up their last day of preparation to join in an exhibition for a cause.

Roger Federer, the world’s no. 1 tennis player and the top seed at this year’s tournament, spearheaded a campaign to help the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti, which has claimed so many lives and is continuing to be a harrowing experience for the people of the country.

They say Federer’s the quintessential Swiss. He’s a quintessential European. He makes me want to pack my bags, call cross country movers, and move to Europe right now.  In 2005, Federer also gathered his fellow players to help raise funds for the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia. It’s really heart-warming to see that people are trying to help the best way they can.

It’s a last-minute effort, and hopefully the people of Melbourne will make this event a success. Knowing how superstitious tennis players are – for example, a lot of them profess not to do anything out of habit during tournaments, like staying in the same hotels or eating the same kind of food – changing their schedules to make this happen really counts for something.

Update: Rafael Nadal is joining, too, even if he’s playing his first round on Monday. Vamos, Rafa!