We are very grateful for all the encouragement and support we received over the past week from friends from all walks of life. We are incredibly thankful that the Oxfam Trailwalker (OTW) community stands as one through the ups and downs.

We are currently making every effort to launch our backup plan – a virtual version of the event – and are awaiting approval from government departments (note: Although we do not need to apply for an exemption from the group gathering ban from the Home Affairs Bureau, we still have to wait for government departments to grant us a permit).

The event, named ‘Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER’ will be more flexible in terms of format and has been scheduled for 22 November to 12 December. We understand that the in-person event dates (i.e. 19 to 21 November) are preferred, however, given the group gathering ban, COVID-19 measures and the results of our application for an in-person event, we can only arrange a delayed and prolonged event (which spans three weeks). We hope you understand and will join us.

Registered teams that have confirmed their participation for OTW 2021 can choose to join the Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER. Please read on for more information on the event, fees and refund arrangements.

Event details

Event period	22 November to 12 December (3 weeks) (Waiting for approval from government departments)
Route	The route is approximately 100 km long; it starts at the Pak Tam Chung Snack Stand (near bus stop) in Sai Kung and finishes at Tai Tong Barbecue Area in Yuen Long
Participation format	A team of four   Team leader can change team members (including the team leader) on our website without being charged on or before 17 November: https://event.oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk/en/Registration/Login   To take part in Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER, participants must install TRAILME, which will track participants’ time and distance along the trail. Participants can also invite family and friends (who will also need to download the app) to support them virtually during the event. https://www.trailme.com.hk/
Registration fee	HK$1,600 per team   Teams that have paid the registration fee for OTW 2021 do not need to pay again.
Fundraising	Minimum donation of HK$5,200 OTW 2021 teams can use their current team numbers and the team pages to raise sponsorship.  Teams that raise over HK$20,000 will be given a team quota to join an in-person OTW in the future. Teams that raise HK$50,000 or above will be presented a fundraising award and will be acknowledged in our thank-you advertisement. https://event.oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk/en/donation/Search
Event format	Teams can choose one of the following options based on their members’ ability and availability:   Adventurous Trailwalkers Teams can choose to complete the 100 km within 48 hours (in one go). Route: Start from the Pak Tam Chung Snack Stand in Sai Kung and finish at Tai Tong Barbecue Area in Yuen Long   Tenacious Trailwalkers Teams can split the 100km trail into two sections and tackle them separately. Section 1: Pak Tam Chung Snack Stand (near bus stop) in Sai Kung to Tai Po Road, i.e. the end of the MacLehose Trail Section 5 (60 km) – must be completed within 31 hours Section 2: Tai Po Road (public toilet) to Tai Tong Barbecue Area in Yuen Long (40 km) – must be completed within 17 hours   Please note: Only the finishing time of the first attempt will count. Subsequent attempts will not count even if better results are achieved.  Teams’ finishing times will be based on the last team member’s timing record at the finish.
Oxfam support points (Only available at specific times on three  weekends)	Pak Tam Chung Snack Stand (near bus stop) in Sai Kung (TRAILME technical support) Cheung Sheung Hui Lam Store (light refreshments will be provided) Gilwell Campsite (light refreshments will be provided) Tai Po Road (public toilet) (TRAILME technical support) Tai Tong Barbecue Area in Yuen Long (medals will be presented by Oxfam Hong Kong to all finishers)   The support we provide will only be available at specific times on three weekends. Further details to come. Please note that since we will only provide light refreshments, teams will still need to arrange the necessary support and supplies themselves. However, please be reminded to observe the group gathering ban.
Certificate	A Finish Certificate will be given to those who complete either format.
Souvenirs	OTW 2021 T-Shirt  Number bib Finisher medal (participants who complete either format will be presented a medal) Other souvenirs from sponsors (to be announced)
Online briefing	Cantonese online briefing session Date and time: 18 November (Thursday), 19:30-20:30   English online briefing session Date and time: 19 November (Friday), 19:30-20:30   Content: Information about the route, Oxfam’s support points, and use of the TRAILME app. The Zoom link will be sent to participants before the briefing.
Collection of participants’ pack	Date and time: 19 November (Friday) from 13:00 to 20:00 20 November (Saturday) from 10:00 to 17:00 Address: Oxfam Hong Kong Office – 9/F, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong (North Point MTR Station A4 Exit) Participants’ pack: Four Quick Dry T-Shirts, four number bibs, other souvenirs from the sponsors, event sponsorship form and posters, etc. The original participants’ pack collect period (i.e. 5 to 7 November) will be cancelled. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Application deadline	The application deadline for those who were not registered for the in-person event is 12 November. Members of the public who are interested in joining Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER can send an email to otwinfo@oxfam.org.hk. Please visit our website for further details: https://www.oxfam.org.hk/en/join-our-events/OTWvirtually-together New teams (i.e. those that were not registered for the in-person event) will need to pay the HK$1,600 registration fee and meet the minimum donation of HK$5,200 (no application fee is needed)

 

Thank you for your support. Teams who have paid the application fee, registration fee and donation for OTW 2021 can choose from the options below. Please visit  https://forms.gle/jaXqkmmzGWdd2nzB7 and reply us by or before 12 November.

If we do not receive your reply via the link above by or before 12 November, the fees and sponsorship we have received so far will be automatically donated to Oxfam Hong Kong and the team slot for Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER will be forfeited. No refunds will be made thereafter.

Please make sure that your decision is a TEAM decision. We will not accept individual requests (e.g. one of the team members requesting not to join the Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER or applying for a partial refund; teams can make changes to their team leader and members without any charge on or before 17 November). Sorry for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding.

 

Option 1

Our team will join Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER (application fee, registration fee and sponsorship will not be refunded)

• The application fee, registration fee and sponsorship raised will go towards Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER, including the application fee, registration fee and sponsorship raised by members who withdraw from teams.
• Teams can make changes to their team leader and members without any charges on or before 17 November.
• Oxfam Hong Kong will not refund the difference between the minimum sponsorship of HK$5,200 and the amount teams raised.
• Teams that want to join OTW in the future will need to pay the registration fee and raise the minimum amount in sponsorship for that year.
• Oxfam reserves the right not to accept applications for future Oxfam Trailwalker events from any member of a team which has failed to raise the minimum amount.

(A refund on the application fee will only available for Open Teams that obtained their team slot through the OTW 2021 lottery.)

 

Option 2

Our team will not join Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER
Please choose one of the following options:

2.1 Teams can choose to donate their application fee, registration fee and donation to Oxfam Hong Kong to support our projects, or

2.2 Apply for a refund on your team’s application fee and registration fee, but donate your sponsorship to Oxfam Hong Kong to support our projects, or

2.3 Apply for a full refund (i.e. application fee, registration fee and sponsorship)

 

Note:

1. Full refunds are only available for teams that have registered for OTW 2021 and have paid the fees or made donations between 1 April and 5 November 2021.
2. A refund on the application fee will only available for Open Teams that obtained their team slot through the OTW 2021 lottery.

Please read the following information about refund arrangements carefully.

 

Application fees or registration fees that were paid through the registration website/donations made through team pages:

–           The fee/donation will be refunded to the credit card that was used at the time.

 

Application fees/registration fees/donations made by cheque, ATM, remittance, bank transfer or online transfer:

• Application fee/Registration fee:
• Refunds will be made by cheque (the payee’s name will be the same as that which was printed on the original donation receipts) and sent to the Team Leader or a specified recipient in one go (please provide your address when submitting your application).

 

• Donations:
• Team Leaders/members must return all receipts that were issued for tax deduction purposes when arranging a refund. Refunds will be made by cheque (the payee’s name will be the same as that which was given when the donation was made) and will be sent to the Team Leader or a specified recipient (please indicate when submitting the request) in one go.

 

Notes:

• If sponsors would like to have their sponsorship for 2021/22 refunded, the receipt will be invalid after the refund. Please do not use it for tax deduction purposes.
• All electronic receipts for online donations obtained through teams’ Team Pages will be invalid after the refund. Team Leaders/members must remind donors not to use these donation receipts for tax deduction.
• Teams can request a copy of their donation report with their donors’ names, donation amount and date in the online form. The records will then be sent to the Team Leader.
• For donations made by cheque, ATM, remittance, bank transfer or online transfer, team leaders/members must collect and return all donation receipts in order to obtain a refund.
• Please email the following information to otwinfo@oxfam.org.hk on or before 30 November:

1. Team number
2. Name of sponsors/payee who would like a refund
3. Amount they donated/paid
4. Date of their sponsorship/payment

 

• The refund process will take about 8 to 10 weeks to complete. The application fee, registration fee and sponsorship will be refunded to the credit card that was used at the time, or will be sent to the Team Leader or a specified recipient in one go (please indicate when submitting your application).
• If we do not receive the above information on or before 30 November, the application fee, registration fee and sponsorship we have received so far will automatically be donated to Oxfam Hong Kong and the team slot will be forfeited.

 

Please remember to visit https://forms.gle/jaXqkmmzGWdd2nzB7  to reply us by or before 12 November. If we do not receive your reply via the link by then, the sponsorship we have received so far will be donated to Oxfam Hong Kong and the team slot for Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER will be forfeited. No refunds will be made thereafter.

 

Thank you again for supporting Oxfam Hong Kong and the Oxfam Trailwalker. If you have any enquiries, please email us at otwinfo@oxfam.org.hk or fax us on 2527 6213.

Best regards,

Oxfam Hong Kong