Corporate teams are gearing up to take part in the Oxfam Trailwalker
After raising millions for charity and endless hours of training, teams are ready to take on the daunting Oxfam Trailwalker, writes Rachel Jacqueline
Teamwork and sheer will are mandatory for the 4,500 runners descending on the MacLehose Trail this weekend for the annual Oxfam Trailwalker, a gruelling 100-kilometre charity foot race completed in teams of four with a 48-hour time limit.
But the quartets are usually not alone in their journey to the finish line; the teams are often formed among colleagues and supported – physically, emotionally and financially – by fellow employees.
Corporate participation represents the largest and fastest-growing sector of the Trailwalker, says Kanie Siu Mei-kuen, director of fundraising and communications for Oxfam Hong Kong.
In 1986, the first year the event was open to the public, just 100 teams took part and raised HK$208,000; last year 1,179 teams raised HK$28 million. Almost HK$400 million has been raised in the past 27 years for Oxfam, a non-profit organisation focused on helping the poor.
More than 3,000 volunteers, 45,000 donors and 4,000 support team members are in action during the event. Over 40 key sponsors donate services and contribute vital manpower.
“The corporate community support helps us provide utilities, hiking gear, food and beverages to all participants and supporters, which helps them before and during the event,” Siu says.
For example, CLP Power has been providing the energy and infrastructure for the event since 1986. Each year, CLP lays more than 112,000 metres of cable, hangs over 42,000 light bulbs and high-beam lights, and supplies more than 9,800 power socket outlets.