·         Platinum sponsor Appleby pledges $17,500 donation to sixth annual DG’s 5K.

·         2019 Challenge will benefit three deserving charities supporting some of Cayman’s most vulnerable people: Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, Special Needs Foundation Cayman and Alex Panton Foundation.

·         The popular walk/run will be held on 29 September in Grand Cayman and 15 September in Cayman Brac.

GRAND CAYMAN (GIS) – The Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge is celebrating its sixth anniversary this year, with efforts well underway to reach an ambitious fund-raising target of $70,000.

The target is already within the Challenge’s sights, thanks to platinum sponsor Appleby and their generous $17,500 donation. This year, Appleby has, again, pledged $15,000 to secure the premier sponsorship level. Additionally, for the first time ever, the firm has also generously offered an additional $2,500 to provide a special edition cap to the first 400 participants who sign up for the 2019 Challenge.

The DG’s 5K Challenge has had a long association with Appleby, dating back to the early years of the event. The law firm first supported the event as participants, becoming a gold sponsor in 2016 and then taking up the mantle as the first ever sole platinum sponsor the following year. 2019 will be the third consecutive time the company has provided sponsorship of the event at this level.

Appleby has continued to support the DG’s 5K Challenge because of its significant contribution in championing a diverse range of causes over the six years it has been running. The initiatives delivered have made a real impact on the local community across the Cayman Islands, thanks to funds provided by sponsors, led by Appleby.         

Bryan Hunter, managing partner of the Appleby Cayman office explains: “This event has supported so many worthy causes over the years and has grown from strength to strength each year that we have been involved.”

He adds: “We expect that trend to continue and are pleased that another set of commendable charities will be benefitting this year. We are very proud to be the platinum sponsors of the DG’s 5K Challenge yet again and look forward to contributing to another successful year.”

Moreover, Appleby believes the Challenge also encourages staff, of all fitness levels, to participate in a fun event where there is a strong brand presence. The chance to strengthen relations with clients who also participate in the walk/run, outside of a corporate setting, is another added bonus, the firm says.           

Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson thanks Appleby for their continued and generous support of the event.

“The DG’s 5K event is very close to my heart because it promotes exercise and provides much-needed funding to amazing charities in the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Manderson explains.

“As the event grows, we have started to increase the number of charities we are able to support, but we can only continue to do this thanks to the community-mindedness and generosity of our sponsors. Appleby has been committed to the Challenge from its early days and I am very grateful they have continued to commit at the platinum level for 2019,” he says.

Key to Appleby’s corporate responsibility is its efforts to support charitable initiatives that chime with the firm’s ethos. The law firm has been an integral part of the Cayman Islands’ community for more than 60 years; during this time, it has focused its charitable support towards issues concerning children and families, animal welfare and education.

Non-profit organisations are encouraged to apply for funding to support their on-island projects at Appleby’s annual Charity Day, held in March. Its staff is also offered time off to undertake work in the community and is supported when they participate in events like the DG’s 5K.

Prospective participants can register now on the CaymanActive website www.caymanactive.com/dg5k. 

The walk/run will be held on the following dates this year:

·         Sunday, 15 September 2019 – Cayman Brac

·         Sunday, 29 September 2019 – Grand Cayman

Due to seasonal accommodation closures, this year’s event will, unfortunately, not take place on Little Cayman. However, pending logistics, it is hoped to reinstate the event on all three Cayman Islands for 2020.

Companies interested in sponsoring the DG’s 5K Challenge, or anyone interested in making a donation, can contact Fundraising Subcommittee Chairwoman Nancy Barnard at [email protected].

            To see the event’s media conference launch, please visit the CIG TV YouTube channel. Further photos can be found on the event’s Facebook page and by using the hashtag #DG5KChallenge2019.