Sports Day For All (傷健共融運動日)

Rotary created a new Guinness World Record

(by PDG Tony Wong)

A new Guinness World Record of “The Longest Handshake Chain” was created by 3,434 participants at 3:23 p.m. of 2^nd November, 2013 at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Hong Kong inclusive of Rotarians of Rotary International District 3450 and the visually challenged members of Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation in this first ever territory-wide event.

Co-organisers:

1. Rotary International District 3450 – Co-Chair PDG Tony Wong

2. Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation (HKBSF) – Co-Chair Mrs. Grace Chan

3. Education Bureau (HKSAR) – Co-Chair Mr. Victor Kwok

Organising Committee: In addition to representatives from the 3 Co-organisers, we have

1. Rotary Adopt A School Committee (RAAS)

2. Rotary Club of Happy Valley

3. Ebenezer School (School for the Visually Impaired)

4. ELCHK Lutheran Secondary School (RAAS Partnering School)

5. Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College (RAAS Partnering School)

6. Standard Chartered Bank

Officiating Guest & Guests of Honour

Mrs. Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Carrie, GBS JP, Chief Secretary of Administration (HKSAR) was the Officiating Guest while District Governor Eugene Fong, PDG Tony Wong, Mr. Peter Sun, MH, Chairman of HKBSF, Mr. Jimmy Ma, JP, Legal Adviser of Legislative Council Secretariat and Ms Pauline Ng, JP, Ex- Secretary General of Legislative Council Secretariat were Guests of Honour. DGE Belinda Yeung and spouse, PDG and Mrs. John Wan, PDG Peter Wan and many District Officers graced our occasion.

Beneficiaries : All funds raised were used to cover all the costs for “Sports Day for All” with surplus around $150,000 to be used to support the blind sports programs of Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation.

Participants: Over 4,700 people including more than 1,400 from Rotary family and 1,200 from volunteer helpers and listed as follows:

1. Rotary umbrella comprised of Rotary Adopt A School Committee, 23 Rotary Clubs and 15 RAAS partnering schools, Youth Services inclusive of District Rotaract Committee and 8 Rotaract Clubs and 6 Interact Clubs.
2. Members of Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation and Hong Kong Society for the Blind.
3. Students with totally visual loss or low-vision from Ebenezer School and ELCHK Lutheran Secondary School.
4. Students from tertiary education, secondary schools, special schools and primary schools.
5. Corporates.
6. Disciplinary Teams – from Auxiliary Medical Service, Civil Aid Service, Fire Services Department, Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps, Hong Kong Custom and Excise Department, Junior Police Call, Police Force and Scout Association of Hong Kong.
7. 1,200 Volunteer Helpers from all walks of life inclusive of 470 students from Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Haking Wong).

Sports Day for All serves the following purposes:

To promote public awareness especially to students on the needs and abilities of the people withvisual loss in sports training and competitions; the visually challenged regained their self-confidence through the participation and the success in sports competitions. We recruited interested school students/teachers/their family members and corporate staff as guides for visually impaired athletes. Over 3,000 people with and without visual impairment jointly created Guinness World Record for the “Longest Handshake Chain” so as to build a harmonious society.

Program :

1. Sports Competitions– all sighted participants were asked to wear simulated goggles when they took part in following items a to d.

For the track and field competitions including both items a & b below, Scout Athletic Club organized the competitions including provision of referees.

1. Sprints– Due to age and size difference of students, participants were divided into four categories with different running distances for 100-meter, 400-meter, 4×100-meterrelay and 1500-meter. For the sighted groups, sighted runners were asked to wear simulated goggles to run and paired up with a sighted guide runner so as to gain the blind experience. Male and female athletes competed separately and their results were calculated separately for the blind, low vision and sighted groups.

2. Standing Long Jump with simulated goggles

Sighted and visually impaired students were enrolled to compete.

3. Golf (blind and sighted categories)

Two kinds of golf games were set up at the outdoor stadium:

[i] Putting Game – to putt the ball into the hole within the putting green.
[ii] Chipping Game – to chip the ball into the net in the distance of 15 feet.

4. Football Competition – 6 teams participated including Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation (HKBSF), Kwong Wah Football Team, Kitchee Sports Club, Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society and 2 teams from Standard Chartered Bank. There were 6 people to form one team: 4 visually impaired players, 1 sighted goal-keeper and 1 sighted guide.

2. Game Booths for the sighted and the visually impaired participants

A total of 15 Game Booths were designed with different educational themes. Two of which had been operated by Hong Kong Society for the Blind and provided 2 special games to public so as to increase their awareness of prevention on vision impairment.

3. Blind Experience Tour

A dark room was set up with visually impaired guides to lead participants including primary school students in small groups through different settings in total darkness. Participants learned how to interact without sight by using other senses. This activity offered the public an experience that could change their mindsets on disability and diversity as well as increased their tolerance when facing difficulties.

4. Performances

Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College mobilized over 300 participants to attend in this event including participating in different kinds of sports competitions and stage performances e.g. Lion Dance, singing and dancing, band show and Chinese Ku Fu performances. Caritas Chai Wan Marden Foundation Secondary School prepared to perform Tai Chi and Drum performance. However, due to the unstable and adverse weather condition, their performances had to terminate in order to make the attempt of breaking Guinness World Record for the “Longest Handshake Chain” more than one hour earlier than scheduled.

5. Created the Guinness World Record for the “Longest Handshake Chain”

Thank all of those who offered their care for visually impaired people, efforts to help, patience to follow and tolerance to adopt sudden changes due to unforeseen difficult situations. All participants were overwhelmed with excitement whenMs Lisa Hoffman, Guinness World Records Adjudicator, officially announced that “A new Guinness World Record of “The Longest Handshake Chain” was created by 3,434 participants at 3:23 p.m. of 2^nd November, 2013 at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Hong Kong”.

6. Ceremony

Mrs. Carrie Lam officiated the Ceremony after the silver band of Caritas Chai Wan Marden Foundation Secondary School had marched in. DG Eugene Fong also delivered inspirational speech to encourage us. After the completion of formality, the audience enjoyed the singing performances by the visually challenged singer, Ms Tong Nin Na together with 60 students of Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College.

In Conclusion

Co-Chair PDG Tony Wong expressed his sincerest thanks to all supporters as follows:

“Under such difficult circumstances, confusion could be imagined. I must thank all of you who were unbelievably cooperative, disciplined, and truly helpful to make our dream a real one! Please accept my heartiest thankfulness, the laurels are all yours!”

Participating List under Rotary umbrella:

For more photos, please refer to the below link.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8ruks0zyjcb4zg7/VxDLIFW1sc