Growing charity promotes wellness among Hong Kong’s youth through sports
For first year working with Operation Santa Claus, Friends of Asia co-organises five-a-side soccer tournament to raise funds
A Hong Kong charity has scored a win with its five-a-side soccer tournament that raised about HK$1 million.
Friends of Asia, founded in 2014, co-organised the event with the Hong Kong Football Club as part of Operation Santa Claus, the annual fundraiser organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK. It is the first year the charity is taking part in the drive.
Friends of Asia started with two beneficiaries and had 12 this year. It aims to inspire and create community awareness of physical and mental wellness along with illness prevention.
The charity, through its affiliate the Asian Foundation, matched the net amount of funds raised at the tournament.
On why it teamed up with Operation Santa Claus, Friends of Asia Hong Kong chief executive Helen Chan Li Yuet-ying said: “Football is a very good sport for young people … team spirit and building their confidence and also very good for their health, so we want to do more, not just for golf and tennis, but swimming, soccer, rope-skipping, fencing, whatever is good for health promotion, we would like to support.”