Goodman Group has invited members of the public and corporate partners to register for the seventh
Goodman Interlink Magic Mile, which will be held at its landmark property in Tsing Yi, Hong Kong, on March 25 (Sunday).
The annual one-mile charity run asks participants to race up the 15-floor cargo ramp of Goodman Interlink with people running in teams or solo. For the more enduring runners, the event this year will have a four-lap race over 6.5km. Goodman Group is an integrated property group with operations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, North America and Brazil.
The event has raised around HK$5 million for charity over the past six years. This year the event will be
held in support of The Fred Hollows Foundation, an international development organisation that works for eliminating blindness. All funds raised will go towards supporting a major three-year eye healthcare project in Huanxian County in Gansu Province, Western China.
The project will provide screening for more than 130,000 people, ophthalmology services for more than 30,000 patients as well as cataract surgery for more than 600 people to restore their normal sight. To create sustainable eye services in the county, the project will also provide eye care training to more than 100 medical staff, community health workers and teachers, including the training of a cataract surgeon.
In partnership with the local government and the County Prevention of Blindness Office, The Fred Hollows Foundation aims to integrate primary eye care into primary health care in Huanxian.
Kristoffer Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of Goodman Greater China, said: “Goodman Group is pleased to support The Fred Hollows Foundation for this excellent initiative to dramatically improve eyesight in Huanxian county. As a group, we are strong believers in positive social change and are excited about the impact this long-term partnership will have on the lives of thousands of people.
“The success of previous Goodman Interlink Magic Mile events are the result of enormous generosity on the part of our customers, business partners and staff. We would encourage the local community and our
partners to come and join us on March 25 to help give the people of Huanxian Ccunty the precious gift of sight.”
The Fred Hollows Foundation works to end avoidable blindness caused by cataracts, trachoma and diabetes. It works at all levels, from village health centres to regional hospitals and national
ophthalmological networks, to build local communities’ capacity to treat eye diseases by themselves. The foundation trains local doctors and health workers, builds and upgrades facilities and provides equipment to achieve long-term and sustainable eye health care.
The foundation has been working in China since 1998 with a footprint covering more than six provinces, including a flagship project supported by Goodman Group in Xingtang County in Hebei in Northern China.
Dr Anson Wong, Partnerships Lead Greater China, at The Fred Hollows Foundation, said: “We are extremely honoured to be working with Goodman and are grateful for its backing, particularly for this important project in Huanxian County. Of China’s 1.3 billion people, an estimated 6.6 million are blind, which accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s blind population.
“In the spirit of our founder, Fred Hollows, and with Goodman’s support, we want to work to end preventable blindness in China, and hope to train and empower local health professionals in Huanxian, leaving a lasting impact and ensuring everyone has access to high-quality and affordable eye care.”
