Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) will again be a diamond sponsor of the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association's Ngong Ping Charity Walk in January next year. The walk will feature four celebrated Hong Kong athletes promoting healthy living and conservation, and it is the only event allowed on the Ngong Ping Skyrail maintenance path. SHKP is also publicizing the walk through its residential estates and shopping malls.

The "Challenging Yourself, Go Green" walk will be on 20 January next year to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association. The Association has designated Doha 2006 Asian Games men's triathlon silver medalist Daniel Lee Chi-wo and celebrity athlete Alex Fong as the event ambassadors, and polar explorer Rebecca Lee Lok-sze and hiking expert Chung Kin-man as the honorary advisers. The Association is internationalizing the event by inviting overseas participants through the network of 4,000 youth hostels in 90 countries. A series of promotions will also be staged to promote environmental awareness, with game booths, talks and exhibitions.

SHKP Executive Director Michael Wong said at the kick-off ceremony: "Conservation is a core corporate policy of SHKP. The Group actively promote public education on the issue. We are pleased to be a diamond sponsor for a second year of this event especially happy to have four prominent fitness experts joining us to promote healthy living. We hope that the walkers enjoy the physical challenge and learn to appreciate our environment."

The routes will start from Tung Chung and cover different conservation and heritage spots including mangroves, the Tian Tan Buddha Status and Wisdom Path. There will be interactive games along the routes and guides to tell walkers about the environment conservation and ecology. There will be four categories: Challenger, Explorer, Family and Secondary School (with the option of pairing in the Explorer category). See http://npcw.yha.org.hk for details.

The Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association was established in 1973. It is a non-profit organization and member of the International Youth Hostel Federation. It has served Hong Kong for 35 years and its individual and corporate members now exceed 30,000. The Association provides simple and safe hostel accommodation to local and overseas visitors, promotes care for nature and encourages international cultural exchanges to broaden young people's horizons.