Accor Race To Survive To Cure Kids Underway

Accor Race To Survive To Cure Kids Underway

October 20 2008: Competitors participating in the 2008 Accor Race to Survive to Cure Kids in Fiji battled hot conditions in the first leg of the event, a 10km run around Denarau Island.

Former Australian Olympic swimmer and silver and bronze medallist Geoff Huegill started the race and joined the 13 teams for the swim section held on a course in front of the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa.

Huegill, who is also an eight times world record holder and five times Commonwealth gold champion, will attend the Maco Swim Club's session at the Nadi Sports Club this afternoon to motivate young members of the club and assist with their training.

Over $FJ300,000 has been raised since Cure Kids Fiji was established in 2006 by Accor Hotels in Fiji and the Cure Kids charity, and significant lifesaving equipment has been purchased for local hospitals to benefit the young children of Fiji.

The 13 teams of Accor employees will also do mountain bike sections and paddle outrigger canoes to Vomo Island returning to Denarau to finish the event at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa on Friday (October 24). Three hundred young Fijian children were at the start line today to farewell the teams, highlighting the event mantra that “the race is all about the kids.”

Competitors visited Lautoka Hospital on Sunday, the main beneficiary to date for medical equipment and supplies donated by Cure Kids Fiji.

Lautoka Hospital’s head paediatrician Dr Rigamoto Taito says in particular state-of-the-art incubators supplied for the hospital’s neo-natal ward have vastly improved the care for premature babies and removed stress for staff.

“As well as providing a better service for sick children the arrival of the new equipment has lifted the morale of staff significantly. Everyone wants to work in this ward now, it is the best ward in the hospital thanks to the new equipment.”

Sunday also marked the presentation for the first time of much needed equipment to Nadi Hospital. At a ceremony at the hospital attended by members of the Nadi Hospital Board and head doctor, Dr Whippy, Accor Hotel’s representative Paul Stevens handed over the equipment which included a criticare monitor, paediatric probes, nebulisers, an infusion pump and a laryngyscope.

“Accor employees hope to raise even more money in this year’s event for medical equipment because we want to help keep kids in Fiji alive and healthy and ensure the future of Fiji. The new equipment will also allow doctors and nurses to do their jobs properly.”

Dr Whippy says usually the hospital has to go out and find donors but in this case “ the donors came looking for us. We are blessed by the support.”

Charge nurse Sister Vasenui Nadolo told the gathered group that today she is “the happiest lady under the sun. The doctors and nurses say thank you to Cure Kids Fiji and to everyone for the hard work in raising money to provide equipment which we are really in need of.”

Cure Kids Fiji will also assist the Rotary Club of Fiji in donating ventilators to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva

ENDS

www.curekidsfiji.com

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