Canto-pop legend lends support to tournament fundraiser as organisers announce five beneficiary charities for 2017 edition.
Acclaimed Canto-pop star, Hacken Lee, today announced his support for the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup, the fundraising initiative that over the past two years has helped raise seven-figure sums for Hong Kong charities.
The competition, which will once again offer amateur golfers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of the European Tour’s biggest stars, will be played on Wednesday 29th November, in the week following the UBS Hong Kong Open. Funds raised will be donated to five local non-profit organizations that promote sports, health and education to underprivileged children and youth in Hong Kong.
Since its inaugural year, in which the HK$2.3 million raised was the second-largest charitable initiative on the European Tour’s 2015 calendar, Friends of Asia Hong Kong, the tournament’s official charitable partner; title sponsor, UBS; and the Hong Kong Golf Club have built upon the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup’s success. In conjunction with the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Dinner, which was hosted at Hong Kong Golf Club’s Deepwater Bay venue, the 2016 edition of the event raised more than HK$3.3 million for four local charities – a target which organisers are determined to surpass in 2017.
The likelihood of achieving that goal received a welcome boost today with the announcement that Hacken Lee will tee-off alongside fellow participants in his capacity as Charity Ambassador to the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup.
Following in the footsteps of his friend and fellow singer song-writer, Alan Tam, who was the ambassador last year, Hacken Lee will open the Charity Cup, which will take place on the 18-hole composite championship course.
The five beneficiary charities are all dedicated to providing sports, health, or education programs for underprivileged children and families in Hong Kong. These include Benji’s Centre, which provides speech-therapy for children from low-income households; Chicken Soup Foundation, which creates tailored educational and healthcare programs for disadvantaged students; and the Internet Learning Resources Centre, which develops programs to provide underprivileged children with internet-based learning opportunities.
InspiringHK Sports Foundation, an organization aimed at increasing the social mobility of underprivileged children through sports; and the Music Children Foundation, a charity committed to introducing music into the lives of youngsters regardless of their background, will also benefit from the money raised.
“I’m delighted to be the Charity Ambassador of this year’s UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup. Friends of Asia is a wonderful organization and the charitable beneficiaries are doing amazing work, providing a wide range of services to some of the less privileged members of our society. Being a father myself, I want to show my kids how we can all lend our support to those less fortunate. I’m also pleased to continue the legacy started by my good friend Alan Tam and I hope that it can continue for many years to come,” said Hacken Lee.
Dr Caleb Chan, Founder and Chairman of Friends of Asia Hong Kong said: “We’re pleased to continue our partnership with the UBS Hong Kong Open and raise valuable funds for the tournament’s charitable beneficiaries. The UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup, Charity Dinner and the Birdies for Good initiative will all help to raise funds that go directly to benefit the people of Hong Kong. I’d like to extend my personal thanks to Hacken Lee for his support of this year’s UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup. I am confident that we will be able to raise the bar once again in the amount of money we are able to raise.”
Ms Amy Lo, Chairman and Head of UBS Wealth Management Greater China and Country Head of UBS Hong Kong said: “We are all enormously excited about the success of the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup, which in just two years has become one of the leading fund-raising events on the European Tour’s global calendar.
“With the support of Hacken Lee and other event partners, we hope that this year’s UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup will again generate significant funds for the beneficiaries.”
The Hong Kong Golf Club is once again providing the championship course as the venue for the Charity Cup. Arnold Wong, Captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club said: “The Hong Kong Golf Club is pleased to continue its support for the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup. The championship course will once again be available to the public to play on and I’m sure this year’s Charity Cup will be another very successful event. Together with other fundraising initiatives undertaken each year, The UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup reaffirms the Hong Kong Golf Club’s commitment to the local community and to improving lives in Hong Kong.”
At this year’s UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Dinner, to be held on 21 November on the 9th Fairway of the Hong Kong Golf Club’s Deep Water Bay venue, local band “Old Boys” will perform. The Beatles cover band features singer-songwriter, Kenny Bee, MC, Patrick Dunn, drummer, Roger Sham, and local guitarist, Joe Tang.
As with last years’ Charity Cup Asian Foundation, close affiliate of Friends of Asia Hong Kong (FOAHK), has again promised to match the total funds raised from the Charity Cup campaign dollar-for-dollar, with a minimum donation of HK$1 million dollars going to this year’s beneficiaries.
For more information on the 2017 UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup, and the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Dinner, visit: www.friendsofasiacharity.com or www.ubshkopen.com.