The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will spend 400 million yuan on four projects to assist reconstruction efforts in the earthquake-devastated province of Sichuan, the organization said yesterday.

A memorandum of understanding on the projects is expected to be signed between the HKJC and Sichuan provincial government on Friday.

The liaison office of the central government in the SAR thanked the HKJC yesterday for its biggest donation ever to the country.

Introducing the plan at a press conference, HKJC Chairman John Chan said that the projects - involving three schools and one hospital - will be completed within 27 months and will benefit more than a million people annually.

Those to benefit from the projects include 17,000 hospital inpatients, 260,000 to 350,000 outpatients, and more than 10,000 students and their families in the counties of Mianyang, Deyang and Dujiangyan.

Chan said that the HKJC is keeping its promise to allocate up to HK$1 billion for the reconstruction efforts in Sichuan. The pledge was made soon after the province was hit by a massive earthquake in May.

"At this stage, the most important consideration is rebuilding the lives of Sichuan people, especially the younger generation and their families, and bringing them new hope," Chan said.

Chan pointed out that the first four projects that the HKJC funds will benefit people of different ages and background who lost their homes and schools, and, in many cases, also suffered from both psychological and physical trauma.

In Mianyang, Chan said, the HKJC will spend 80 million yuan over 27 months to reconstruct and expand the rehabilitation facilities at the 1,000-bed Mianyang 3rd City Hospital.

Apart from treating regular inpatients and outpatients, the hospital houses a provincial psychiatric center that is providing psychological counseling and emotional rehabilitation for hundreds of thousands of victims and rescuers in the earthquake.

Tying in with the hospital project, the HKJC will also spend two years rebuilding the collapsed Mianyang Youxian Zhongxing Junior Middle School at a cost of 37 million yuan.

The rebuilt school, which won't be far away from the hospital, will have a special program and facilities to help disabled young people enroll there, said Kim Mak, executive director of corporate development for the HKJC.

In Deyang, the renowned No 5 Middle School will have its upper secondary section expanded in 24 months to incorporate those of two other schools in the area, with enrolment expected to reach 4,500 upon completion of the project, Chan said.

The school will install wheelchair and rehabilitation facilities for disabled students and set up a special program to help them with their vocational training.

As Sichuan is well known for producing top athletes in volleyball, badminton, table tennis and athletics, the HKJC will set up an Olympic School in Dujiangyan at a cost of 139 million yuan to help the province continue with this outstanding tradition.

The new school will be established on the basis of the existing Dujiangyan Middle School, a key school in the district, whose facilities will be expanded within 26 months to provide training in various sports.

The school will accept applications from all over China. Even Hong Kong athletes will have a chance to take advantage of the new facilities through exchange programs, Chan added.

Other than athletes, Hong Kong businesses may also benefit from the projects, as their involvement is also a possibility, though not a requirement, Chan said.

The HKJC will send volunteer teams to Sichuan to help monitor the progress of the projects as well as provide professional services such as psychological counceling.

As for the rest of the pledged HK$1 billion, Chan said the HKJC is still considering what projects to invest in, but he vowed that the club will keep its promise, even if its financial situation worsens.

(HK Edition 11/04/2008 page1)