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Athletes with intellectual disabilities pair up with volunteer runners for Jockey Club special marathon

01/20/2013

About 2,000 athletes with disabilities and their pair-up runners competed in today’s (20 January) i-Run Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2013. Funded by the Jockey Club’s Charities Trust and organised by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), the special marathon advocates the concept of social inclusion in the local community.

Among an enthusiastic crowd cheering on  the runners at the CUHK Sir Philip Haddon-Cave Sports Field were the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So, TWGHs Chairman Viola Chan, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Hau Kit Tai, local outstanding athlete So Wah-wai and ambassador Tavia Yeung.

“The Club is delighted to support i-Run Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon once again. The scale of the event is bigger and the number of participants is increasing every year, hence help bring out the message of social inclusion,” Mr So remarked.

According to their ability, each disabled runner was paired with a volunteer runner to compete in either the 3-km or 5-km Challenge Race. This year, the Trust’s donation was increased to HK$936,000 to cover more pre-race training sessions, so as to better prepare the paired runners and allow them to build closer rapport with each other. Joining the local runners were participants from the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan. The Club’s support included 27 members of the CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team who were actively involved as pair-up runners or on-site helpers.

In addition, the Club is collaborating with TWGHs to organise The Hong Kong Jockey Club Youth Sports Reporter Programme, in which the young sports reporters had covered today’s event, hoping to raise public awareness of the marathon.

The Trust has been supporting TWGHs for over 70 years, having donated over HK$628 million towards various projects that provide quality services to the community.

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.

The Cluba£á?s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (2nd right) and TWGHs Chairman Viola Chan (1st right) present a trophy to winners of the 5-km Challenge Race (Male Group).
The Cluba£á?s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (2nd right) and TWGHs Chairman Viola Chan (1st right) present a trophy to winners of the 5-km Challenge Race (Male Group).

Guests and participants of i-Run a£á¡§ Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2013.
Guests and participants of i-Run a£á¡§ Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2013.

The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So, CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members, runners with intellectual disabilities and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Youth Sports Reporter Programme participants.
The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So, CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members, runners with intellectual disabilities and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Youth Sports Reporter Programme participants.

The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (1st left) and CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members.
The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (1st left) and CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members.

The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (1st right) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Youth Sports Reporter Programme participants.
The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (1st right) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Youth Sports Reporter Programme participants.

The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (centre), Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (right) and local outstanding athlete So Wah-wai (left).
The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (centre), Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (right) and local outstanding athlete So Wah-wai (left).

The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (5th left); Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (4th left); TWGHs Chairman Viola Chan (6th right);  2nd Vice-Chairman Ivan Sze (2nd left); local outstanding athlete So Wah-wai (2nd right) and ambassador Tavia Yeung (4th right) receive souvenirs.
The Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (5th left); Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (4th left); TWGHs Chairman Viola Chan (6th right); 2nd Vice-Chairman Ivan Sze (2nd left); local outstanding athlete So Wah-wai (2nd right) and ambassador Tavia Yeung (4th right) receive souvenirs.

About 2,000 athletes with disabilities and pair-up runners participate in the i-Run a£á¡§ Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2013 to promote social inclusion.
About 2,000 athletes with disabilities and pair-up runners participate in the i-Run a£á¡§ Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2013 to promote social inclusion.

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