We know The Peak; we love The Peak; we should really use The Peak all hours of the day for a worthwhile cause.
Oh, looky here!
For the sixth time, The Peak will be taken over on Nov. 14 by student relay teams supporting the end of modern day slavery. An entirely youth-run initiative, the 24 Hour Race (organised by Run to Stop the Traffik) will next month be raising money and awareness in Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to combat this global issue.
Nathan Yung, 24 Hour Race’s 17-year-old director, believes that the definition of slavery is “an umbrella term that changes overtime”. It now includes people who are “unable to take control of their future, are treated unfairly or [have no] basic rights”, he told Coconuts HK.
Commenting on whether he thinks slavery is an issue locally, Yung said, “There is a perception that modern day slavery doesn’t exist in Hong Kong, but there are immigrant workers who are unable to get paid and treated fairly.”
During the 24-hour event, teams of 8-10 youngsters, about 500-700 total participants, will run around Lugard Road, passing along the baton all through the night from 9pm to 9am the next day.
This year’s goal is to raise HKD3.5 million – a HKD1.8 million increase from last year’s earnings – with all the money collected from personal or corporate sponsorship donated to five selected grassroot charities focused on combatting slavery.
Previous fundraising efforts of the 24 Hour Race saw more than 250 child slaves rescued, 10 human trafficking leaders arrested, and four exploitative orphanages closed.
Yung says that while many think slavery is a thing of the past – a mere point in history – there are currently 35 million slaves in the world. Meanwhile, only 0.1 percent victims are helped per year.
“The youth groups taking part in the 24 Hour Race are empowered to be part of the generation that abolishes slavery and increasing awareness,” Yung said.
“What’s amazing is that when you put together a group of passionate, inspired people, no matter their age, anything becomes possible… even combatting such a large global issue like this.”
For more information or how to donate or take part, visit the 24 Hour Race website.
