Golf club comes out swinging for charity

Fanling course holds 2022 Cup of Kindness tournament, raising HK$5m for local causes

Members of Hong Kong’s top golf club have taken to the course to offer a helping hand to those in need across the city.

Hosting the 2022 Cup of Kindness tournament on its Fanling course on October 16, the Hong Kong Golf Club raised HK$5 million for various causes.

“A great many people and organisations have been highly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. And while restrictions are easing, the fact remains that charities in Hong Kong have struggled to raise much-needed funds over the past two and half years,” club captain Andy Kwok Wing-leung said.

Since it began in 1987, the annual tournament has raised more than HK$80 million to support community concerns and charities. This year’s event attracted 230 players.

“What the club really wants to achieve is to raise awareness of the importance of giving back to the community. We tell our members that we can do so through the sport that we all love. While we play golf, we are still able to raise money,” Kwok said.

“We also try to connect our members to the community … and try to help those in need.”

Among the funds raised by this year’s tournament, HK$1.5 million will go to Operation Santa Claus (OSC), the annual fundraising drive run by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK since 1988.

Of the funds sent to OSC, HK$1 million will go to the Home of Loving Faithfulness, a body the club has supported for more than 25 years. The charity has provided lifelong care for residents of all ages with physical and mental disabilities since 1965.

“They really do wonderful and meaningful work,” Kwok said. “It’s an organisation very much in need of donations and support from the community.”

Yeung Pui-yee, a representative for the charity, said the funds would help the organisation meet rising operating costs.

Marking its 35th anniversary this year, OSC has raised HK$353 million since its launch, with the money going to 323 charitable projects in the community. This year 15 charities are being funded.