Hong Kong insurance group staff defy cold in hot pursuit of charity funds
Insurance staff stay on track at Happy Valley Racecourse to reach goal of HK$150,000 - and company will double the total for campaign
It was probably not the best weather for running on this mid-December day. The temperature had dropped 5 degrees from the warm and sunny 20 degrees Celsius two days earlier and the occasional drizzle didn't help make the day more enjoyable.
But rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the 56 employees of insurer AIA Group. They braved the chilly wind as they stood on the running track at the Happy Valley Racecourse. Indeed, with many in sleeveless shirts and shorts, running was their best hope at keeping themselves from shivering. And it was all for a good cause.
With a target of finishing 250 laps, which adds up to a total of 350 kilometres, they hoped to raise at least HK$150,000 for annual fundraising campaign Operation Santa Claus, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK.
No matter how much the group raised, the figure will double as AIA will chip in the same amount.
"This is a way of getting us together before Christmas to do something which would keep us fit," said Paul Hughes, AIA's group head of underwriting and claims. "To do it for a good cause is always better than not."
This is the first year AIA has joined the campaign. The team, including Hughes, eventually achieved 315 laps (441 kilometres) after two hours of running, which is an average of almost six laps for each person.