Hong Kong star athletes donate Covid-19 supplies in ‘Share For Good’ campaign as city battles rising demands
- Local sporting stars including Ng On-yee and So Wa-wai send rapid antigen test kits, masks, and other much-needed supplies
- ‘As long as we work together and maintain hygiene, we will defeat this’, says six-time Paralympic gold medallist So
Top Hong Kong athletes are leading the drive in donating vital anti-pandemic resources to local hospitals as the city continues its battle with the fifth Covid-19 wave.
Snooker player Ng On-yee, badminton player Tse Ying-suet, table tennis player Minnie Soo Wai-yam, vault gymnast Stone Shek Wai-hung, retired Para sprinter So Wa-wai, and more joined New World Development’s newly launched “Share For Good” campaign.
Touted as the city’s “first large-scale crowd donation platform”, the initiative intends to alleviate the rising demand for supplies amid an increase in self-quarantines at home, and provide help for underprivileged communities.
Partnering with Yan Chai Hospital, more than 30 non-profits, and delivery company Lalamove, organisers matchmake donors with beneficiaries in a donate-and-deliver process.
New World kicked things off with a donation of 200,000 items with all logistical costs bankrolled by those involved, according to an official press release.
Upon consulting target beneficiaries, organisers compiled a list of the 13 “most-needed items”, including rapid antigen test kits, oximeters, SIM cards, supermarket and fast food vouchers, face shields, and more.
Donors can register, browse and select or request items to be donated in bulk. Alternatively, they can make “cash donations for supplies” to be collected and redistributed by Yan Chai with no administrative fees.
“Every time I’m away from the table, I will try my best to help fight the pandemic together,” said former world No 1 Ng, who donated 2,500 heat patches and masks.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medallist Soo donated 1,500 sets of rapid antigen test kits and masks. “If you have any symptoms, get tested as soon as possible, so you can recover faster and continue to chase your dreams,” she said.
Reigning Asian Games champion Shek, who recovered from Covid-19 last month, donated 1,500 heat patches and masks. “You have to fight in every competition, so to beat this pandemic, everyone must do their part,” he said.
Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony flag-bearer Tse donated 1,250 rapid antigen test kits and masks. “Competing in badminton is as fast as fighting the pandemic. Get tested and get the right medicine quickly if you are unwell,” she said.
The 12-time Paralympic Games medallist So donated 1,500 hand sanitisers and masks. “It doesn’t matter if you aren’t the fastest at the start line. As long as we work together and maintain hygiene, we will defeat this,” So said.
Athletes aside, notable donors include actor-singer Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, the University of Hong Kong’s faculty of medicine dean Gabriel Leung, and more.
