Jockey Club and McDull spark students' creativity to design green theme park

07/13/2013

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and popular local cartoon character McDull are proving to be great partners in bringing lively and entertaining green activities and information to the public under their Lower Carboni??Better Living collaboration.

Their latest project came to fruition today (13 July) when the Club’s Executive Manager, Charities, Imelda Chan joined illustrator of the McMug and McDull characters, Alice Mak to present prizes to the winners of a “think more theme park” competition, designed to stimulate students’ creativity in promoting a lower-carbon environment.

Ms Chan said the Club appreciated the creativity and efforts students had put into developing ideas for a theme park. She hoped they could adopt low carbon lifestyles, helping Hong Kong become a more sustainable city.

The competition required participants to use their creativity and imagination to design a green theme park, including its facilities, games, activities and displays, to promote the lower carbon message to schoolmates and the public.

The Best Concept Award was shared by a team from Bishop Hall Jubilee School who created an artificial intelligence theme park, and a team from Pui Shing Catholic Secondary School who came up with ideas for a Chinese floral theme park. Their prize is an overseas study tour to Sapporo, Japan, including site visits to Moerenuma Park and Sapporo Sewerage Science Museum where the winning teams can learn more about green facilities and initiatives.

Lower Carboni??Better Living is part of the Environment Project initiated and funded by the Club’s Charities Trust. McDull features as the main character in a series of 20 five-minute animation clips as well as comic strips promoting the green message, designed to enhance public awareness of environmental protection. A teaching pack has also been produced to help teachers spark their students’ interest in learning how to create a lower carbon environment. Details of this infotainment project are available at http://low-carbon.mcdull.hk/.

Launched in 2008, the Environment Project reflects the Jockey Club’s strong commitment to environmental protection and conservation.  Other donations to date have covered the Hong Chi Association’s Community Organic Farming Campaign, the Glass Bottle Recycling Campaign and the CUHK Jockey Club Initiative Gaia, as well as various international symposia and public forums. To support environmental conservation, the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course became the first in the world to deploy solar-powered golf carts throughout its entire fleet.  And to reduce carbon emissions, solar-hybrid catamarans have been brought in to carry passengers between Kau Sai Chau and Sai Kung pier.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is not only one of the world's leading horse racing organisations but also a world top 15 charitable organisation and Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.7 billion in 2012. It is also a major taxpayer, Hong Kong's single largest by far, generating over HK$16 billion a year for public funds. The Club pioneers technology applications for sporting and betting entertainment, striving for the highest levels of customer service. As a membership club, it is recognised as one of Asia’s most prestigious, with more than 23,000 members. These multifaceted roles make it a well-respected and remarkable organisation, dedicated to its mission of enhancing the quality of life for all Hong Kong people.