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¡°Take a shower from head to toe, through the footbath you should go. Please make sure that you are seen, wearing only what is clean. In the water nothing spill, and do not swim if you are ill.¡±
Hundreds of students chanted this poem-like ¡°Charter on Swimming Pool Cleanliness¡± at a ceremony held at the Lai Chi Kok Park Swimming Pool today (April 29) and pledged to keep pools clean.
At the launching of the charter to start a promotional drive to keep swimming pools clean, students and teachers signed the charter under the lead of the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Anissa Wong; the Chairman of the Community Sports Committee, Mr Chau How-chen; Chairmen or representatives of the 18 District Councils; local artistes; and the campaign¡¯s theme cartoon character ¡°McDull¡± the little piglet.
Chairman of the Community Sports Committee Mr Chau How-chen said he hoped that the promotional scheme would foster civic conscientiousness among the next generation.
¡°I fully support this educational drive. With the support of the Community Sports Committee and district councils, I trust it will help achieve the keep clean goal,¡± he said. Mr Chau is also the Chairman of Tsuen Wan District Council
Apart from the ¡°Charter on Swimming Pool Cleanliness¡±, a series of publicity material including posters, publications, educational signage and a TV API featuring the cute cartoon character McDull would also be produced to drive home the keep pools clean messages.
One of the key messages is to remind swimmers not to use pools as a toilet. In past summer seasons the discovery of stool and even vomit has resulted in the unwelcome closure of pools. With young children and parents being the targets of this educational campaign, it was decided that the cartoon character McDull would be most suited to help get the message across about keeping pools clean.
"Keeping public facilities clean is a virtue that should best be instilled from childhood. We hope that children will be happy to join with McDull the civic-minded piglet to keep our swimming pools clean," Ms Anissa Wong said.
The charter is designed to be kept as a motto in the form of a bookmark, so that children can remind themselves of the concise six-point pledge all the time.
A set of McDull keyholders will be another motivation to invite children to sign the charter. By returning the charter reply slip, they will have a chance to win the keyholders which also carry the swimming pool cleanliness message.
Spectators also saw lifesaving performances by Water Safety Ambassadors, who put across messages of water sports safety and swimming pool cleanliness.
Today's ceremony was organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and supported by Radio Television Hong Kong Radio 2.
The Charter on Swimming Pool Cleanliness will be available at public swimming pools and the LCSD District Leisure Services Offices. People can get a set of lovely McDull keyholders by signing the charter and returning the reply slip. For more information, please refer to the flyers or the LCSD District Leisure Services Offices.
Ends/Saturday, April 29, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:17
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