After travelling for four months across five continents and logging several tens of thousand kilometres, the dignified flame of the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2007 finally arrived to a country with an ancient civilisation—China.  At 8.00 pm on September 25th, at the Jurongguan section of the Great Wall, a grand “Torch Receiving & Torch-run Starting Ceremony” was held.  On the occasion, as a Special Olympics partner and a sponsoring bank, CCB sent out a delegation of 20 youth volunteers to receive the Special Olympics Torch together with public security officers from all over the country, Olympics athlete representatives, citizens from all quarters of society and law enforcement officers from 25 countries and locations.

The Torch Run for the Special Olympics Shanghai began in June 2007 with the lighting of the flame in Athens, Greece.  After making its way to Cairo, London, Washington DC, Seoul, Tokyo and Sidney, the “Flame of Hope” eventually arrived China.  After the starting ceremony in Beijing, torch runs were subsequently held simultaneously in the 11 cities of Beijing, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Jiaxing, Suzhou, Nanjing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Harbin, Xian and Shanghai.  The Flame of Hope finally reached Shanghai on October 2nd, the date when the opening ceremony was held.

At the Torch-run Starting Ceremony, the uniformed CCB volunteers demonstrated their enthusiasm in giving moral supports to the Special Olympics with actions by following the torch-run team formed by 280 law enforcement officers and ran towards one brightly and colourfully lit beacon terrace of the Great Wall.

After it was lit up in Beijing, torch runs were held simultaneously in Beijing, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Jiaxing, Suzhou, Nanjing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Harbin, Xian and Shanghai.  In addition to participating in the torch-run through hundreds of volunteers from its respective branches in these cities, CCB had set up “Cheer-on Stations” in the host cities to provide services to participating referees and volunteers and to cheer the Special Olympics.

As a sponsor to the Special Olympics 2007, CCB has not only provided substantial support in funds, but has launched a series of “Care for Society through Action” activities in support of Special Olympics beginning May 23rd this year.  In the intervening five months, it has organised Special Olympics promotions through its 3,000 or so branches in 12 Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Jiaxing, Suzhou, Nanjing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Harbin, Xian and Hong Kong.  Teams of CCB volunteers have gone to residential communities, schools and corporations to publicise the Special Olympics and to motivate people to show their care to the Special Olympics athletes.  It has also installed “Small Change Donation Boxes” in the aforementioned branches to collect donations.  It has given out “Rainbow Postcards” to facilitate the conveyance of care and blessings.  Last but not the least, CCB has also designed and issued “Caring Credit Cards” for the Special Olympics.  For every Caring Card successfully applied by a customer, CCB donates one yuan to Special Olympics International and for every effective transaction using the Caring Card, it donates 0.1 yuan.

Light up the Flame of Hope and convey hope.  CCB and its staff have been supporting the Special Olympics through their actions, they have brought care and dream to each of the Special Olympics athletes and to every individual with intellectual disabilities, encouraging them to pursuit their dreams and not to give up, giving them a reason to live optimistically and allowing them a better chance of fitting in with society.  Meanwhile, through their actions, they hope that more people will understand and care for the intellectually disabled and will join efforts in building a harmonious society.