SAILABILITY
Dancers whooping it up and having a real royal ball
Sailability
Cheque presentation ceremony (from left to right):
Mike Rawbone, Sailability Chairman; Joost Lobler, Orange Ball Organiser;
Kay Rawbone, Sailability Co-founder; Rinske Kuiper, Chair, Dutch Association.
Elberti Uiterwaal-Postma appeals for Sailability assistance
gets new Safety boat
The Dutch Association provides generous support for Sailability Hong Kong in their quest to represent Hong Kong in Asian Para Games
The weather may have been cold on the waterfront down at
Hebe Haven Yacht Club on Saturday 15 February, but there was
no chill in the atmosphere as members of the Dutch Association
(Nederlandse Vereniging) and Sailability gathered to launch the
newest member of the Sailability fleet. The new safety boat
and outboard motor were generously donated following the
Association’s 2013 Orange Ball, which raised a magnificent
$127,346 for the purchase.
The Dutch Association was formed 64 years ago in 1950 and
has more than 800 Dutch members. Each year it holds a ball to
raise money for charity. The present Dutch king’s inauguration
was the theme of the 2013 ball and it proved to be an
outstanding success in every way.
A crucial addition to the fleet, the new safety boat will not only
enable Sailability to supervise their sailors, but will also save the
Trust funds as they will now have one of their own.
Elberti Uiterwaal-Postma—one of Sailability’s most active
volunteers and strong supporters—gave an impressive speech
highlighting why the three-year-old organisation has scored such
success for adults and youngsters with disabilities under the
umbrella of Hebe Haven Sailability Trust.
56 Hebe jebes • MAY/Jun 2014
Elberti underlined the need for donations to support the funding
of the boats and the expenses involved in representing Hong
Kong for the first time in the Asian Para Games. These games are
to be held in Incheon, South Korea in October later this year.
正積極備戰南韓亞洲殘疾人運動會的「航能」（Sailability），
於2月15日增添新力軍，由荷蘭會慷慨捐出，價值 $127,346的
教練船及外舷機。香港荷蘭會代表更特別預備了一張大支票，
轉交「航能」主席Mike Rawbone，然後隨即一同參加新船下
水禮。現在「航能」有自己的教練船，除可更容易監察及指導
船員外，亦能讓基金會省卻一筆重大開支予其他發展。
有64年歷史，800個荷蘭家庭為會員的香港荷蘭會，於去年一
年一度的橙色慈善舞會（2013 Orange Ball）中決定將籌得款
項給予「航能」添置新船器材。促成這次捐款的是「航能」最
熱心的義工之一的Elberti，作為香港荷蘭會成員，她在去年以
荷蘭國王登基為題的橙色慈善舞會中，不遺餘力的向會員介紹
白沙灣航能基金旗下的「航能」如何幫助有身心障礙的人士，
感動到一眾會員決定投「航能」一票。
默默耕耘了三年多的「航能」正極速訓練首支香港傷健小帆船
代表隊，準備參加十月在仁川舉行的殘亞會。這個全由義工組
成的組織，在短短幾年間，已讓超過200個智障及傷健人士享
受駕駛小帆船的樂趣。
Pictured behind the cheque presented to Sailability (from left to right):
Joost Lobler, Orange Ball Organiser; Ente Breed, Board Member, Dutch Association; Rinske Kuiper, Chairperson of the Dutch Association