HONG KONG (SE): “I will first skip alone, then with a partner and then finally do a pushup jump rope trick,” Vicky So Pui-man, a primary six student excitedly told the Sunday Examiner before taking part in “725 Rope Skipping Fun Day” held at St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School, Clear Water Bay Road, on July 25.
The fund-raising event, held for the second year, was the highlight of the Joint-School Rope Skipping Charity Rally organised by the Catholic Education Office and the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Schools Council taking place from June 6 to July 1. The sum raised will be offered to the Diocesan Fund-raising Commission for Church Building and Development to support the construction of new churches, additional cemetery niches and the maintenance of various parish churches. As at July 26, the amount raised stood at $2.6 million and public donations can be made until mid-August via the website of the fund-raising commission.
So, who attends the Ping Shek Estate Catholic Primary School, was one among 200 students gathering at the school that day as they helped to raise funds through rope-skipping. She shared that she lived nearby but she need to walk uphill to the secondary school that morning under a hot weather of nearly 35 degrees and sweated all over when she arrived. “It was tough, but I am happy,” she said.
“Let’s pray for God’s blessing in this hot weather. Let’s pray for kindled hearts. We may sweat a lot, which is a must when we do good work. There may be tears as well, because of our joy and gratitude.” said Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan, SJ, during the opening ceremony of the fun day.
“Young people have a lot of good qualities for us to learn from, among them is courage in the face of difficulties,” Bishop Chow said.
Moreover, the bishop said the participation of the schools of religious institutes and Caritas is a sign of unity of Catholic schools to work for God together. He thanked everyone who took part in organising or supporting the event, including the donors, sponsors, performing guests and the participating students for their generousity and efforts.
Apart from diocesan secondary, primary schools as well as kindergartens, the event this year was also supported by the schools of religious institutes and Caritas under the arrangement of the Catholic Religious Schools Council and Caritas Hong Kong-Vocational Training and Education Service.
Father Benedict Lam Cho-ming started the event with an opening prayer. Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, chairperson of the commission, then thanked Bishop Chow for coming to bring encouragement for participating students. He also thanked the Catholic Education Office and the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Schools Council for organising the event.
He expressed gratitude to donors and participants for taking concrete actions to support the fund-raising commission, as well as the staff of St. Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese Secondary School for giving support in the venue. “Let’s pray for God’s guidance for this event which encourages constant exercises, unites Catholic schools, promotes concern for Church development and pass on the great love of God,” Father Chan said.
Young people have a lot of good qualities for us to learn from, among them is courage in the face of difficulties,
Bishop Chow
The event kicked off with a flame lighting ceremony at the school hall in which Bishop Chow passed on the flame of his electric torches to those held by the clergy of the diocesan curia as well as the organisers on stage. Together they lighted up the big banner of the activity.
By arrangement with the Lion’s Club, members of the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Federation, China, then gave all those present an eye-opener as they demonstrated the various advanced skills of rope-skipping with a performance to upbeat music.
Afterwards, Bishop Chow and the priests went to the school’s outdoor playground to greet and encourage the participating students.
After Bishop Chow triggered the start-horn, students from over 100 secondary, primary schools and kindergartens then jumped rope in different styles following the happy beat of a song. Their schoolmates and students from other schools joined the event via video-conferencing in relays in a later session.
Four representatives from Pope Paul VI College, soaked in sweat after rope-skipping in the sun, said they loved the sport since they were primary school students and felt motivated when an experience day was organised by the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Federation, China, at the school last September. The demonstrations inspired them to learn more skills from the rope-skipping team of the school.
“I feel a sense of achievement when I learn a new skipping style,” Au Choi-wing, a form one student said. She said she also felt happy to ask her family members and friends to donate in support of the event and receive their encouragement for what she does.
Transport was, in fact, not a problem even for students far away. Leung Hiu-tong, a student from Cheung Chau Sacred Heart School, said she woke up at 6.00am and caught the 7.00am ferry to Central to come to the event. “It was not difficult as long as I can have fun,” she said.
The event also attracted kindergarten students to learn more about skipping rope. Jenny Chan Chung-yin, a teacher of St. Thomas’ Catholic Kindergarten, said the two K3 students who were with her had not yet acquired the necessary skills, but just came to experience the joy of the event.
In an earlier video message on the commission’s website, the bishop remarked that the diocese needed to raise over $1 billion in development funds to meet the needs over the coming decade, as it foresaw a considerable population growth in the northern New Territories and Lantau. The construction of additional urn niches is also a necessity for future generations.
Besides the rope-skipping rally, the diocesan commission is planning to organise a “House among Houses Fund-raising Concert” scheduled on November 2 at Queen Elizabeth Stadium to raise funds, as the pandemic is presently under control.
