Group runs up Taipei 101 to raise funds for Swaziland children

 2012/06/10 18:04:54 Taipei, June 10 (CNA) Around 60 church members, medical students and English teachers ran up Taiwan's tallest building on Sunday to raise funds for children in Swaziland.The group, consisting of members from the Catholic Taichung Diocese, Annie's English School and the School of Medicine at Fu Jen Catholic University, participated in the marathon climb up 2,046 stairs to the 91st floor of the Taipei 101 tower."Last year we climbed Taiwan's highest peak Yushan to raise funds for Swaziland," said Frances Chou, convener of the event and a member of the Catholic church."This year we want to climb Taipei 101, Taiwan's tallest building, to call attention to our ally in southern Africa and to show Taiwan's love for them," she said.She said the group's participation in the Taipei 101 event was part of a global initiative led by the U.S.-based charity Heart for Africa, which sent teams last year to climb mountains in countries such as Taiwan to raise funds for orphans and vulnerable children in Swaziland.The group is raising funds this year to buy 10,000 pairs of socks for children in Swaziland, who are often unable to afford warm clothes and socks in winter, Chou said.Chou's group is also raising money for medical supplies for AIDS patients in Swaziland, which is said to have one of the highest HIV rates in the world.Some members of the group, including doctors, will travel to Swaziland in July on medical missions and distribute the socks and relief supplies to people there, Chou said.Rockey Chao, a doctor in the group, said many of the children he had been in touch with on previous visits to Swaziland were orphans whose parents had died of AIDS. He called on the Taiwanese public to donate generously to help such children."I want to say thank you very much. This is not the first time you have donated your time and energy to raising money for Swaziland," said Njabuliso B. Gwebu, ambassador of Swaziland in Taiwan"I know today is Sunday, when most of us are thinking of resting after a long week. But you have taken this precious time to share the love with the people of Swaziland," she said before the group began the race.Over 4,000 contestants participated in the annual race up Taipei 101 on Sunday. This year, NT$4 million (US$133,645) from the event will be donated to help visually impaired people in developing countries.