The "8-Hour Challenge" 2012 Charity Hiking Event, jointly organized by the China Youth Development Foundation and the Beijing News, and co-hosted by the Communist Youth League Yanqing County Committee and Operation Blessing Hong Kong, has begun recruiting participants. This event aims to mobilize broad social support, promote public welfare, raise charitable funds, and fund the "Project Hope Joyful Reading" program in rural primary schools in central and western regions, thereby improving reading skills among rural students. On September 8, 2012, over a thousand caring individuals will gather at the Yuudu Mountain Scenic Area in Yanqing, using the power of walking to put their philanthropy into action.
As people's living standards continue to rise, sports have evolved beyond mere competitive events and have become an essential element of a healthy lifestyle, as well as a way to experience modern trends. The positive values promoted in sports—such as striving for self-improvement, challenging oneself, teamwork, and perseverance—are closely aligned with the core principles of public welfare, including humanistic care, compassion, and the joy of helping others. Using fashionable and fun outdoor activities to practice kindness, inspire others, realize dreams, and serve the public is one of the best models for civic engagement in charity.
The "8-Hour Challenge" seeks to establish a new model of social participation that combines physical activity with philanthropy by organizing a moderately challenging outdoor walking event. It aims to rally societal support for charitable projects such as Project Hope. The funds raised during the 2012 event will be used to launch the "Project Hope Joyful Reading" program in rural primary schools in Haiyuan County, Ningxia; Longyang District, Baoshan, Yunnan; and Yanqing County, Beijing. These funds will go toward donating high-quality children’s books, training rural reading instructors, and helping students engage in leveled reading, shared class readings, and reading discussions.
The "8-Hour Challenge" spans three months and consists of two phases: pre-event registration and the on-site race. All participants must promote the concept of public welfare and raise a set amount of charitable donations during the registration phase. The on-site race offers two routes—40 kilometers and 25 kilometers—allowing participants to choose one based on their ability and complete it within eight hours, thus challenging their physical endurance.
Participants can register individually or as part of a four-person team (either self-formed or organized by companies/institutions). Both routes have been carefully designed and surveyed multiple times by outdoor sports experts, featuring beautiful scenery ideal for outdoor trekking. Safety measures along the way include checkpoints, supply stations, rescue vehicles, and support teams to ensure participants are well-supported and secure. This event uniquely blends leisure, competition, environmental awareness, teamwork, and philanthropy, offering participants an unforgettable and fulfilling experience that nurtures both health and happiness.
A standout highlight of this charity event is its emphasis on encouraging participants to promote the ideals of public welfare through their own influence and actions, motivating friends and family to join the cause and support them. Through the process of fundraising and walking, participants embark on a joyful journey of the spirit. Since its launch on Sina Weibo on June 11, the "8-Hour Challenge" has garnered enthusiastic responses from numerous netizens. Caring users such as @Yumengmenghlr and @Xiaxue5102 shared their participation and fundraising efforts via QQ, Weibo, and Renren, receiving generous donations. Corporate supporters like Beijing New Yansha Commercial Co., Ltd. and Noah Asset Management Co., Ltd. organized employee teams to participate, showcasing their corporate social responsibility while actively strengthening company culture and team building.
This event has received strong support from numerous corporations and organizations. FAW Mazda donated funds to cover the operational expenses of the event; Kraft Foods China provided biscuits, chocolates, and other supplies; Shenzhen E-GO Electronics Co., Ltd. sponsored some prizes; online platforms like Greenfield.com, Renren, Baidu Charity, Sina Leju, Sina Outdoor, Sina Weibo, and TianGong Network promoted the event extensively; while institutions such as JD.com, CYTS, Wanbu Network, and Longqing Gorge assisted with participant recruitment, promotion, and venue provision.
As a co-organizer of the "8-Hour Challenge" Charity Hiking Event, the Beijing News will uphold greater media social responsibility by promoting and spreading the innovative concept of fundraising through walking. Leveraging its media strengths, the newspaper will use vivid stories and in-depth reporting to inform readers about the lack of extracurricular reading materials among children in impoverished areas, calling on all sectors of society and readers to take action. By joining this effort, everyone can help rural children read more, read better, and grow up joyfully through the power of walking.
Measure the earth with your steps, spread love with your sweat—the "8-Hour Challenge" 2012 Charity Hiking Event looks forward to your and your team's participation. Online, phone, and on-site registrations (at the China Youth Development Foundation) are now open. Spots are limited—sign up now!
Phone Registration:010—64035547/64790590
Address of the China Youth Development Foundation: Floor51, No.5, Wangjing West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
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