Cathay Pacific kicks off Change for Good campaign

Cathay Pacific Airways and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today officially launched their annual Change for Good inflight fund-raising programme at a ceremony held at Cathay Pacific City. This year, the fund-raising period will be extended from six months to a year.

Change for Good involves asking passengers to donate the spare change they bring back from trips overseas for charity. The money raised is used to support UNICEF's relief programmes in 161 developing countries around the world.

Between 15 August 2001 and 14 August 2002, Cathay Pacific passengers can make a donation by placing their spare foreign change in a Change for Good envelope which they can find in their seat pocket. All they have to do then is hand the envelopes to one of Cathay Pacific's cabin crew.

Speaking at today's opening ceremony, Cathay Pacific's Director and Chief Operating Officer Philip Chen said: "We are delighted to be once again working closely with UNICEF in running the Change for Good programme. As an international airline based in Hong Kong we are strongly committed to helping the needy in all the communities we serve. Taking part in the Change for Good programme is an excellent way of doing just that."

At today's ceremony, Cathay Pacific and UNICEF also signed a Corporate Partnership to further promote the survival, protection and development of children worldwide.

During this year's Change for Good programme, one month's average proceeds will be donated to the Cathay Pacific Wheelchair Bank. The bank was established in 1996 to help children suffering from neuromuscular diseases. It supplies children with specially adapted wheelchairs to improve their quality of life.

Since Cathay Pacific first conducted the Change for Good programme in 1991, the airline has raised more than HK$32 million for charity. In 1999, Cathay Pacific and other members of the oneworld global airline alliance announced the formation of the "oneworld Alliance for UNICEF", supporting UNICEF through the Change for Good programme and other fundraising efforts.