On the 1-2 October Hebe Haven Yacht Club will host the Ninth Annual 24-hour Charity Dinghy Race in Pak Sha Wan, Sai Kung. The event, very much a family affair, will see the club transform into a carnival-style attraction for the entire weekend with games, stalls, bars, restaurants and, of course, the dinghy race itself. A huge amount of organisation goes into each event, and David Campbell, Commodore quipped, “It’s like painting the Forth Bridge—as soon as you have finished, it’s time to go back to the beginning and start all over again.” To date the event has raised over HKD7.5 million for local charities, and this year four key charities will benefit from money raised: The Children’s Cancer Fund, Enlighten—focusing on action and awareness of epilepsy, TREATS—focusing on social integration and equal opportunities for all children in Hong Kong, and IDEAL—focusing on opportunities for intellectually disabled persons.
HR Magazine spoke with Simon Blore, Managing Director, Benoy—title sponsors of the event—to find out how entering teams brings HR multiple benefits aside from the CSR aspects and the opportunity to give something back to the local community. Blore explained, “Well, one of the first benefits is that the event actually gives all staff a chance to meet each other properly—they don’t always get this chance at work because our office is sprawled over two floors. Secondly, it’s a great opportunity to throw staff into new situations that they haven’t experienced before which boosts their confidence. Thirdly, they also learn a great deal through participating in the event, especially in terms of working together as a team in a more harmonious way.”
Richard Mortimer, 24hour Charity Dinghy Racing Chairman explained, “This year over 50 boats are taking part, of them nine have been specially adapted to allow less able people to also get involved.” Michael Franco, General Manager, Hebe Haven Yacht Club, revealed, “Next year we may move the event to Sai Kung Harbour when it should triple in size. That should put us well on the way to raising a total of over HKD10 million for charity by our 10th event.” For more information on entering staff teams, or just attending the event, visit the club’s website: www.hhyc.org.hk
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
