Hong Kong siblings behind charity golf event make helping others a family affair
- Friends of Asia Hong Kong founder Caleb Chan and chief executive Helen Chan hope to encourage more young people to play sports
- Money raised at Honma Hong Kong Open Charity will go to various beneficiaries, including Operation Santa Claus
Get your clubs ready, and be prepared to tee off at one of the most anticipated charity golf events this year.
The Honma Hong Kong Open Charity Cup will be staged on a course in Sheung Shui on November 28.
Money raised at the event, which is co-organised by Friends of Asia Hong Kong, Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong Golf Association, European Tour and Asian Tour, will be donated to various charities.
One of the beneficiaries is Operation Santa Claus, the annual fundraiser jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and government broadcaster RTHK.
Operation Santa Claus raises more than HK$15 million for charities
Caleb Chan, founder of Friends of Asia Hong Kong, said the group’s fundraising projects, such as the charity cup, had received tremendous support from the community.
“People here are generous,” he said.
The Hong Kong-based organisation, founded in 2014, has been a charity partner for various major sports tournaments in the city and has raised funds to support NGO programmes for children covering a wide range of sports from tennis to rope-skipping, along with health and wellness programmes.
Chan said his team would continue to work on new initiatives to help the needy.
Growing charity promotes wellness among Hong Kong’s youth through sports
“We run campaigns to help underprivileged people, especially disadvantaged young children, to improve their physical, mental and academic well-being.
“We should create more opportunities for the underprivileged to gain access to a high-quality lifestyle,” he said.
Chan’s sister Helen Chan Li, who acts as the charity’s chief executive, said the organisation was seeking to raise awareness among growing children and teenagers that sports and recreation were good for health.
“Apart from eating well, children should play sports,” she said.
The siblings said they were following in their father’s footsteps when it came to charity work.
In addition to sports organisations, Friends of Asia Hong Kong has worked with charities such as institutions that care for autistic children.
How you can give
● Donate online by credit card at osc.scmp.com/donate
● Donate at an ATM or at any HSBC branch (account no: 502-676299-001 for SCMP Charities Ltd- Operation Santa Claus)
● You can donate with a cheque payable to “SCMP Charities Ltd – Operation Santa
Claus” and mail it to: Operation Santa Claus, South China Morning Post, 19/F, Tower One, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay.
● Donations of HK$100 or more are tax-deductible. If you would like a tax receipt,
please send the completed donation form and original bank receipt, with your
name, address and phone number, to the above address. Please call 2680 8159 or
