Li Ning shows Olympic spirit in its charity efforts

Leading domestic sportswear and facilities producer Li Ning just released its 2008 corporate social responsibility report, which, in part, highlights how the company has helped improve physical education (PE) and promote sports culture in China.

"We are not a company of just producing mere sport equipment, but also a company dedicated to the promotion of sports culture," said company Founder and Chairman Li Ning. "What we are doing is to activate human intrinsic passion for sports through our products."

Since there are generally no full-time PE teachers or sports apparatus/goods in China's poverty-stricken areas, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development and Li Ning Company Limited jointly initiated "Sports Together - Public Welfare Training of PE Teachers for Poverty-stricken Areas", according to the report, titled: "Li Ning Vision: Ordinary Hero".

The first training session started in July 2006 in Lingqiu county of Shanxi province, with sports apparatus, goods and costumes donated to schools there.

So far, the program has offered free training to more than 1,000 PE teachers for rural primary schools and middle schools in poverty-stricken counties. This is estimated to benefit millions of pupils and students in rural areas of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Heilongjiang.

Li Ning said the program will continue in the coming years, and training courses will be updated in line with developing conditions.

The company's CEO Zhang Zhiyong published the Love Donation Initiative on Aug 8, 2005, calling on the entire staff of the company to participate in donations toward Li Ning Hope Primary Schools. The initiative aimed to newly build or rebuild two primary schools each year from 2006, as well as engage staff in the process to work together with the company.

The Hope School project has been carried out smoothly. Three schools in Guangxi, Gansu and Hebei have been renovated and two new schools are under construction in Yunnan and Guizhou.

"When all people focus on specialized sports events, remember that the Li Ning brand is trying to bring the sports experience to all at the grassroots level," the report said.

The "2008 Li Ning Caravan" activity was started in Beijing on March 22, 2008, the night before the Beijing Olympics Torch was lit. The theme of the event was set as "Hero Meeting Hero". A mini marathon, a 100m relay race and other popular programs were held to dig out the "ordinary hero" living among the public. Olympic champions were invited to interact with the public and to engage more people with the passion of the Olympics and sports in general.

More than 150,000 people directly took part while more than 1.1 million watched during the course of the entire event. Seven current and former Olympic champions took part in the interactive activities with the audience. A total of 621 city champions also came out.

"Li Ning Company Limited conveyed the Olympics spirit and disseminated the charm of sport through the simplest means. Because of sports, you too can become a hero," the report said.

The Beijing-based company also inspired its staff to take part in charity, and made great efforts on disaster relief and poverty alleviation in 2008.

It donated materials valued at 1.05 million yuan to the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation for South China areas hit by heavy ice rain, snow and frost in February. To aid affected people in the Sichuan earthquake, Li Ning Foundation, Li Ning Company Limited and the entire staff of the company jointly donated 12.49 million yuan in cash to quake-damaged areas.

The CSR report said the company has set up a CSR mission exploring the most effective mode of donation, and the most agreeable way of developing sports brands with humane care in the context of industrial social responsibility.

The domestic sports products leader, on the basis of donations in money and in kind, will not be satisfied with supplying material assistance only.

(China Daily 05/04/2009 page10)