Home Hong Kong Jockey Club runs race meeting behind closed-doors and donates proceeds to fire victims

Hong Kong Jockey Club runs race meeting behind closed-doors and donates proceeds to fire victims

The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced the income from its Sunday race meeting, which amounted to HK$70.2 million ($9 million), will be donated to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.

This comes after seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the district of Tai Po went up in flames. It has now been reported that at least 146 people are known to have died.

On Saturday (November 29), three days of national mourning began, with many leaving flowers and handwritten notes to mourn the victims. The Hong Kong Jockey Club first announced on November 27 that the proceeds from Sunday’s closed-door race meetings would be donated to support victims of the fire.

They also stated that the Mark Six lottery draw would be postponed to 2 December, three days after its original date of 29 November. The club announced a donation of HK$100 million too, through its Charities Trust, to support victims and the families involved.

Hong Kong Jockey Club donates HK$170.2 million in total

In an update on Sunday, the company said: “The Club extends its deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones and sympathies to those who have suffered injury and loss as a result of the fire. The Club’s Charities Trust will continue to work closely with relevant government departments and non-governmental organisations.”

The club continued to explain that trust-supported programs were activated immediately to provide practical support to the families in need. This included providing support to transitional housing operators to furnish vacant units and provide daily necessities, as well as emergency medication, emotional and bereavement support.

It also involved helping older residents and carers to connect to social services, organizing online sessions for parents and supporting kindergartens and nursery schools, and arranging subsidies to affected students to help with uniforms, stationary, and other supplies.

Featured Image: Cyril Yoshi / CC BY-SA 4.0

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the gambling and blockchain industries for major developments, new product and brand launches, game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to in-house staff writers with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Sophie Atkinson
Freelance Journalist

Sophie Atkinson is a UK-based journalist and content writer, as well as a founder of a content agency which focuses on storytelling through social media marketing. She kicked off her career with a Print Futures Award which champions young talent working in print, paper and publishing. Heading straight into a regional newsroom, after graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in Journalism, Sophie started by working for Reach PLC. Now, with five years experience in journalism and many more in content marketing, Sophie works as a freelance writer and marketer. Her areas of specialty span a wide range, including technology, business,…