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Press Releases & Updates

11 NOV 2015

Oxfam Trailwalker 2015 Press Conference Partners come together to support Hong Kong’s largest fundraising hiking event

The Oxfam Trailwalker 2015 Press Conference was held at AIA Central today (11 November). The event’s Principal Sponsor, AIA; Major Sponsor, State Street Corporation; trailwalker veterans and newcomers, and volunteers came to show their support and officiate at the Oxfam Trailwalker 2015 kick-off ceremony. The event will be held from 20-22 November; Oxfam Hong Kong aims to raise HK$32 million through it to support its work in poverty alleviation, disaster relief and policy advocacy in Hong Kong and around the world.

Special guests included Bernard Chan, Chair of Oxfam Trailwalker Advisory Committee; Trini Leung, Director General of Oxfam Hong Kong; Jacky Chan, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau; KK Low, Head of AIA Vitality, AIA Hong Kong and Macau; Anthony Yau, Community Support Program Chair, State Street Asia Limited; Danny Thapa, a retired Gurkha sergeant and founding member of Trailwalker; Dr. Alphonse Poon, an experienced trailwalker who volunteered in Nepal after the earthquake hit; Chan Kwok Keung, Trailwalker veteran and coach of the Christian Zheng Sheng College team; students of Christian Zheng Sheng Association / Zheng Sheng College, Cheung Kok Ho, Cheung Kwan Siu, Ip Sau Fung; and Dr. Kenneth Wu and Dr. Chau Chi Wai, representatives from Kowloon Central Cluster.

‘This year, Oxfam Trailwalker’s theme is “Side by Side, Together we Thrive”. Like trailwalking, poverty work is challenging; but just as our theme this year suggests, we know that working hand in hand with poor and vulnerable communities, partner organisations, frontline staff, volunteers and governments along with your continuous support, we will be able to achieve a world without poverty’, said Bernard Chan, Chair of Oxfam Trailwalker Advisory Committee. He added, ‘Oxfam Trailwalker has deep ties with Nepal. The event first started out as a Gurkha-led training exercise, and over the years, we have seen many Nepalese trailwalkers take part in this event. As most of you know, a devastating series of earthquakes struck Nepal earlier this year, so we hope that through this event, we can raise more money to rebuild lives and communities there.’

As the Principal Sponsor, AIA will be fielding 20 teams with 80 staff and financial planners to support the event, and it will be the largest corporate team this year. Jacky Chan, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau, said, “AIA has made advocacy of healthy living one of the primary focuses of our corporate social responsibility. We are pleased, starting this year, to be the Principal Sponsor of Oxfam Trailwalker for the next three years to promote a healthy lifestyle in our community, while supporting Oxfam’s work to alleviate poverty worldwide. AIA recently launched the ‘AIA Vitality’ programme to encourage customers to take charge of their health through an innovative mechanism of incentives. We are sponsoring the Oxfam Trailwalker in the name of ‘AIA Vitality’ and have introduced a new ‘AIA Vitality - Dare to Challenge Award’ to the event. This award recognises the most outstanding team participating in Oxfam Trailwalker for the first time, with the aim of motivating more people to commit to leading a healthier life.”

Echoing our theme this year, ‘Side by Side, Together we Thrive’, the guests also shared their feelings and training experiences. Retired Gurkha sergeant, Danny Thapa, helped map the 100 km MacLehose Trail for the inaugural Trailwalker in the late 1970s and joined the very first event in 1981. Dr. Alphonse Poon, an experienced trailwalker, used his medical expertise to save numerous lives in Nepal after the earthquake struck, demonstrating the spirit of partnership integral to Oxfam’s poverty alleviation and disaster relief work.

Chan Kwok Keung (KK) is a Super Trailwalker veteran, who has participated in 30 different Oxfam Trailwalker events around the world over the last 20 consecutive years. As the coach of the Christian Zheng Sheng College team, he is also passing on the trailwalking spirit to the younger generation, hoping that students will learn the meaning of perseverance and commitment that will enable them to reintegrate into society.

The doctors and nurses from the Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC) have been providing volunteer medical support at the Oxfam Trailwalker event since 1996. Dr. Kenneth Wu and Dr. Chau Chi Wai, representatives of KCC, said that their medical team started preparing six months before the event. Preparations included managing medical materials, equipment and facilities, coordinating with all working groups, and arranging first aid talks for participants and volunteers. The volunteers put in all this effort to ensure that all participants can trek the 100 km safely.

The Oxfam Trailwalker route begins in Pak Tam Chung in Sai Kung (Start Point) to Po Leung Kuk Jockey Club Tai Tong Holiday Camp in Yuen Long (Finish Point). A total of 5,200 walkers from 1,300 teams will be required to complete the rugged 100 km MacLehose Trail and other trails within 48 hours. The event has already received the support of over 3,000 volunteers, 50,000 donors, 5,000 support team members and 20 sponsors. All funds raised will go towards Oxfam’s poverty alleviation, disaster relief and advocacy work to help bring about positive change in the lives of people living in poverty.

For more information on Oxfam Trailwalker:

 

About Oxfam Trailwalker

Oxfam Trailwalker (previously called ‘Trailwalker’) began in Hong Kong in 1981 as a military training exercise for the elite Queen’s Gurkha Signals Regiment. In 1986, Oxfam Hong Kong was invited to co-organise the event and in the same year the event was open to the public. Along with the retreat of the Gurkhas in 1997, Oxfam Hong Kong took over the event. Through the years, Oxfam Trailwalker has become one of the largest fundraising and hiking events, and it is now held in 16 cities in 10 countries including Australia, Belgium, England, France, India, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and Spain.

About Oxfam

Oxfam is a worldwide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against poverty.

About AIA Vitality

Introduced by AIA Hong Kong, “AIA Vitality” is an incentivised wellness programme which redefines the traditional concept of insurance. The game-changing programme comprises three steps, namely, “Know your Health”, “Improve your Health” and “Enjoy the Rewards”, to help customers take charge of their health and be rewarded. Built on a science-backed wellness programme, the comprehensive and well-structured “AIA Vitality” encourages customers to become healthier and rewards them for the healthy choices they make. Besides premium discounts, customers can take advantage of fabulous discounts and offers(1) from programme partners. Customers who successfully apply for any of the “AIA Vitality Series” and join as members(2) of “AIA Vitality” will enjoy an upfront premium discount of 10% for the first policy year(3). In addition to a number of lifestyle rewards from 16 partners, including medical screening privileges, discounted sports equipment, fresh fruit and vegetables discounts, free movie tickets and travel discounts etc, customers can also earn AIA Vitality Points to extend the privileged premium discounts up to 15%.

Note:

  1. Please refer to the member’s handbook or visit aiavitality.com.hk for details of partners and offers.
  2. An annual membership fee of HK$300 is required and must be the Life Insured of the in-force “AIA Vitality” Series insurance policy.
  3. Please visit AIA’s website aia.com.hk for details on the insurance products included in the “AIA Vitality” programme. The applicants for “AIA Vitality” must be aged 18 or above and must be the Life Insured of the in-force “AIA Vitality” Series insurance policy. Premium discounts are applicable to standard premium only (additional premium not included).

 

For media enquiries, please contact:

Cindy Chan
Oxfam Communications Officer
Phone: 3120 5201/ 6749 6230
Email: cindyc@oxfam.org.hk

For AIA enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Chan
Bentley Communications Limited
Phone: (852) 3960 1903
Email: kevinchan@bentleyhk.com