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Outrigger Fiji Walkathon supports kids education

RELEASE NUMBER 36|18

CORAL COAST, FIJI – Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s annual 10km Walk for Kids raised FJD$42,000 (USD$20,400) including a FJD$20,000 (USD$9,700) pledge from the acting Prime Minister, the Honorable Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who also took part in the walk.

Arranged by the resort’s sales and marketing department for the fourth consecutive year, the walkathon attracted over 150 guests, staff, school children and locals walking to raise funds to buy a four-wheel-drive vehicle for the teachers at the Sigatoka Special School.

Outrigger Fiji General Manager Peter Hopgood said the vehicle would allow teachers to visit special needs children who cannot make it into Sigatoka to attend the school.

The funds will also be used toward the construction of two new teachers’ quarters at the Conua District Primary School needed to attract new teaching staff after Outrigger built two new classrooms for the school last year.

Mr. Hopgood said that when he first visited the school in 2010 there were 55 students.

“This year 165 students are enrolled. Back in 2010 the pass rate was 37 percent. Last year the pass rate was 87 percent and in the past eight years we have also built a kindergarten, library, computer lab and a meeting Bure.”

Thanks to Outrigger, and the generosity of its guests and staff, the outlook for students in the Sigatoka region is now much brighter,” Mr. Hopgood said.

The annual Walk for Kids event is part of Outrigger’s departmental community projects initiative whereby each month a different hotel department organizes a community service of some kind.

On a larger scale, the direct-action community tourism project, construction of two new teachers’ quarters at Conua District School is available for resorts guests to participate in as a day excursion. This is anticipated to be completed by November this year.

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