(037) For Immediate Release 30 October 2016
The Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions 2016 Raised Funds For Youth Services
Following on the successes of the previous three events, today’s 2016 Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions at Repulse Bay Beach has become an annual charity sports event that is known to welcome swimming enthusiasts who want to do their part for charity.
The popularity of the event was marked by a jump in the number of corporate/organisation relay teams from 88 in 2015 to this year’s 108, and the addition of a “Swim for Fun” category for non-competitive swimmers. The two categories, in addition to the ever-popular Leaders’ Lap, Family Relay Race and Golden Kilometre Race saw over 540 swimmers taking to the water on a Sunday morning to show their support for youth services provided by welfare agencies funded by The Community Chest of Hong Kong.
Officiating at the opening ceremony were: Mr Simon Peh Yun Lu, SBS, IDSM, Commissioner of Independent Commission Against Corruption; Mr Erick Tsang Kwok Wai, IDSM, Director of Immigration; Mr Li Kin Yat, FSDSM, Director of Fire Services; Mr Lam Kwok Leung, CSDSM, Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services; Ms Winnie Chiu Wai-yin, PMSM, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Management; Ms Rose W M Lee, JP, Executive Committee Deputy Chairman of The Community Chest; Dr Simon Kwok, BBS, JP, Campaign Committee Chairman; Dr Dennis Sun, BBS, JP, Campaign Committee Co-chairman; Mr Lionel Lam Kin, PDSM, CPM, Board Member; Dr Douglas Woo, JP, Event Organising Committee Chairman; as well as Co-chairmen Mr Weber Lo and Mr Stanley Sun.
The awards were given out by Guest of Honor Mr John Lee Ka Chiu, PDSM, PMSM, JP, Under Secretary for Security. Aside for prizes for individual events, awards for “The Overall Fastest Swimmer for 400M”, “The Overall Most Senior and Youngest Swimmer”, “The Youngest School Relay Team”, “The Highest Participation Award”, “The Best Cheering Team” and “The Most Attractive Costume Award” were also given out.
Title sponsor Wheelock and Company Limited, in addition to Circle K and Stride Rite have continued to lend their support; two new sponsors: Citi and Lan Kwai Fong Group are there to make the event a greater success.
The Community Chest of Hong Kong is also grateful to major supporting organisations: Community Chest PCSch Volunteer, Fuji Photo Products Co., Ltd., The Hong Kong Life Saving Society, Hong Kong Sea School and St John Ambulance Brigade.
/..1 of 3
About The Races & The Teams
“The Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions” features four categories of races:
Format Relay Race A team of 4 members in relay Each member should complete 400M swim A) Corporate B) Disciplined Force C) School
Family Relay Race A pair of family members in relay The first leg should complete 200M swim and the second complete 400M swim
Leaders’ Lap Each Leader should complete 200M swim
Golden Kilometer Race Each participant should complete 500M swim followed by run on beach and 500M swim
There were three relay categories:
71 from corporations including: Wheelock Properties (HK) Limited, Citi, Lan Kwai Fong Group, Stride Rite, Circle K Convenience Stores (HK) Ltd, Hang Seng Bank, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Modern Terminals Limited, The "Star" Ferry Company Limited, Wharf China Development Limited, Pacific Club, Harbour City Estates Ltd, Wharf T&T Limited, i-CABLE Communications Limited, Marco Polo Hotels, Li & Fung Ltd, Toys "R" Us (Asia) Limited, Fung Kids (Hong Kong) Fashion Ltd, Fung (1937) Management Limited, Trinity Ltd, Lane Crawford Joyce Group, Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps, The Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers, Splash, Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association and others.
12 from disciplined forces including: The Hong Kong Police Force, Customs and Excise Department, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong Fire Services Department, Immigration Department and Correctional Services Department.
25 from schools including: Wah Yan College, Hong Kong; Wah Yan College, Kowloon; Raimondi College; St Paul’s Co-educational College Primary School; Diocesan Girls’ School; Tsang Pik Shan Secondary School; Hong Kong Sea School; Fung Kai No.1 Secondary School and others.
/..2 of 3
In the Leaders’ Lap category, the 12 competitors are: Dr Douglas Woo, JP, Chairman & Managing Director of Wheelock and Company Limited and Event Organising Committee Chairman; Mr Paolo Bottegal, Sales Director of Miele (HK) Limited; The Hon Kenneth Leung Kai Cheong, Legislative Councillor; Mr Thomas Ho On Sing, Chief Executive of Gammon Construction Limited; Mr Dimitri Gouten, President Asia Pacific of Piaget; Mr Alun Grassick, Partner of KPMG; The Hon Bernard Charnwut Chan, GBS, JP, Executive Councillor and President of Asia Financial Holdings Ltd; Mr Dario Pong, Managing Director of Ferro Resources Limited; Mr Bryant Lu, Vice Chairman of Ronald Lu & Partners (Hong Kong) Limited; The Hon Felix Chung Kwok Pan, Legislative Councillor; Mr Niki Lai, Director of LWK & Partners (HK) Limited, and Mr Christopher Lau, Co-CEO of WWE & Co.
30 participants from 15 families took part in the Family Relay Race. In addition to the above races, there are 41 participants in the Golden Kilometer Race and 31 in the “Swim for Fun” category. This year, the oldest swimmer is 74 and the youngest is 5.
For press enquiries, please contact Ms Queenie Pang, Executive - Communications of The Community Chest on 2599 6136 or via email : [email protected] or Ms Amber Ho, Executive - Communications of The Community Chest on 2599 6153 or via email : [email protected].
─ End ─
Photos of The 2016 Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions will be uploaded on the Chest website, please access : http://www.commchest.org/com/Kate/Swim2016.zip
About The Community Chest of Hong Kong
The Community Chest of Hong Kong was established in 1968 as an independent, non-profit making organisation neither funded, nor operated by the Government. Each year, the Chest organises fund-raising events to benefit over 150 member social welfare agencies that reach out to more than two million beneficiaries in Hong Kong in six major areas of services: children & youth, elderly, family & child welfare, medical & health, rehabilitation & aftercare, and community development. The Chest’s administrative expenses come from a subsidised grant from our partner-in-charity, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, in addition to income from investments. This allows the Chest to allocate 100% of funds raised to charitable use; this operations model makes the Chest unique among its peers, and helps fulfil its mission to act as trustee of the donors.
3 of 3
The Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions 2016 Winners’ List
Time
Golden Kilometer Race Champion – Mr Alwyn Li 18 min 38 sec First Runner-up – Mr Marcus Yuen Yat Ho 19 min 18 sec Second Runner -up – Dr Douglas Woo , JP 19 min 51 sec Highest Fund-raising Award – Mr Michael Leung
Leaders’ Lap Champion – Mr Dario Pong 2 min 48 sec First Runner-up – Mr Paolo Bottegal 3 min 01 sec Second Runner -up – Mr Bryant Lu 3 min 13 sec
Family Relay Race Champion – Ms Chan Hiu Ching & Mr Wilson Chan Chi Wai 11 min 57 sec First Runner-up – Mr Dario Pong & Master Ryan Pong 12 min 51 sec Second Runner-up – Mr Yung Chi Wai & Mr Cyrus Yung Long Yin 13 min 13 sec
Corporate Relay Race Champion – South China Athletic Association 32 min 36 sec First Runner-up – PRINCETON TIGERS 32 min 47 sec Second Runner -up – Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association 33 min 01 sec
Disciplined Force Relay Race Champion – Hong Kong Fire Services Department (Team A) 30 min 50 sec First Runner-up – Correctional Services Department (Team A) 32 min 14 sec Second Runner-up – Immigration Department (Team A) 34 min 14 sec
School Relay Race Champion – Wah Yan College, Kowloon 30 min 06 sec First Runner -up – Wah Yan College, Hong Kong 30 min 07 sec Second Runner-up – The Chinese University of Hong Kong 31 min 11 sec
Highest Fund-raising Award Leaders’ Lap – The Hon Bernard Charnwut Chan, GBS, JP Family Relay Race – Megalodon : Andrew Au & Colin Au Corporate Relay Race – Lane Crawford Joyce Group Swim for Fun – Ms Wong See Nga, Sarah
Photo captions: Photo 1: (From left) The Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions 2016 Opening Ceremony: Event Organising Committee Co-chairmen Mr Weber Lo, and Mr Stanley Sun; Dr Douglas Woo, JP, Chairman; Dr Dennis Sun, BBS, JP, Campaign Committee Co-chairman; Ms Rose W M Lee, JP, Executive Committee Deputy Chairman; Dr Simon Kwok, BBS, JP, Campaign Committee Chairman; Mr Simon Peh Yun Lu, SBS, IDSM, Commissioner of Independent Commission Against Corruption; Mr Erick Tsang Kwok Wai, IDSM, Director of Immigration; Mr Li Kin Yat, FSDSM, Director of Fire Services; Mr Lam Kwok Leung, CSDSM, Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services; Ms Winnie Chiu Wai-yin, PMSM, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Management and Mr Lionel Lam Kin, PDSM, CPM, Board Member of the Chest .
Photo 2: The 2016 Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions Organising Committee Chairman Dr Douglas Woo, JP (right) gives his thanks to Hong Kong’s representative at the 2016 Olympic Games swim event Mr Geoffrey Cheah for leading swimmers through some warm-up exercises.
Photo 3: Golden Kilometer Race awards presented by Event Organising Committee Co-chairmen Mr Weber Lo (first left) and Mr Stephen Fung (first right) and Mr Stanley Sun (second right) to the Champion Mr Alwyn Li (third left), 1st runner-up Mr Marcus Yuen Yat Ho (second left) and 2nd runner-up Dr Douglas Woo, JP, Event Organising Committee Chairman (third right).
Photo 4: Leaders’ Lap awards presented by Mr John Lee Ka Chiu, PDSM, PMSM, JP, Under Secretary for Security (second left) to the Champion Mr Dario Pong (second right) and the 1st runner-up Mr Paolo Bottegal (first left).
Photo 5: The Family Relay Race awards went to the Champion, Team “Brosis” (middle); the 1st runner-up, “Team RPDP” (right) and 2nd runner-up Team “Cyrus & Charles” (left).
Photo 6: Corporate Relay Race’s Championship went to South China Athletic Association (middle), the 1st runner-up was the PRINCETON TIGERS (left), and the 2nd runner-up was Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association (right).