The Hong Kong Jockey Club has been honoured with the Outstanding Charity Award in a public voting campaign organised by Sing Tao Daily. The award acknowledges the Club's contributions to society and shows there is wide public awareness of the Club's long-standing commitment to supporting the community, especially in times of difficulty.
The award is part of the Sing Tao Excellent Services Brand Awards, which are aimed at encouraging business organisations to provide quality services to their customers. Members of the public were invited to vote for their favourite brands from 15 to 30 December 2008. The Club received the highest votes under the Outstanding Charity Award category.
Operating under a unique, not-for-profit business model, the Club donates an average HK$1 billion every year to charitable and community projects, making it the largest non-government charity donor in Hong Kong. It is also the largest single taxpayer in the city, contributing some HK$13 billion a year to public revenue.
Apart from its charitable donations and tax payments, the Club recently made it possible for Hong Kong to stage the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, by creating world-class venues and facilities at a cost of over HK$1.2 billion. It has also established its own CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team to promote a caring culture and realise its determination to serve the community.
The Club takes care of Hong Kong's Mainland compatriots, too. Last year, Chinawas hit by two devastating natural disasters - severe snowstorms in February and the Sichuanearthquake in May. In both cases the Club made immediate emergency donations to relief agencies as well as launching public fund-raising appeals. The Club has since pledged a further HK$1 billion to support suitable reconstruction projects in Sichuan. Four projects have already been confirmed which will provide medical services, education and professional sports development in the affected area.
The Club's operations are closely linked with Hong Kong's economy not only because it employs over 25,000 full- and part-time staff of its own, making it one of the largest employers in Hong Kong, but also because of the indirect benefits it brings to many other sectors. For example, its raceday operations provide abundant job opportunities for Hong Kongpeople in such industries as food supply, transportation, and newspapers and publishing. The huge economic contributions of the Club's operations to Hong Kongmay be easily overlooked when the economy is in good shape, but in periods of downturn like the current financial crisis it can provide a lifeline to these smaller service providers.
Having regard to this, the Club is trying its best to counter challenges from the fast-growing gambling and entertainment industries of Macau and the Asia-Pacific region. In doing so, it aims to avoid an outflow of Hong Kong's resources, which may have an impact on the Government's tax revenues, Hong Kong's job market and even the charitable and community projects funded by the Club's Charities Trust every year. The Club calls on the public to support its development so as to protect important betting revenues for the benefit of the entire community and the betterment of society.
