The Korea Association of Foreign Language Academies will hold a charity walking event next week to raise money to help earthquake victims in Nepal.

The walk is expected to last two hours, along a route that snakes around the city’s historic Bukchon area, with spot prizes along the way. Participants will be given a detailed map and clues on where to find chests with prizes in them.

Those who find a chest will draw an envelope from it, with details of prizes inside, which can vary from a free hug to tickets, towels and wine.

A dodgeball game, following standard rules, will be held after the walk. More than one game will be held if there are enough participants. The final six players left will each win discount tickets from Adventure Korea, a leisure activity tour company.

KAFLA says its members are largely small businesses in Korea’s education sector, and designed the event to bring the expat community and its member academies together in making a positive social contribution.

KAFLA has held four previous walking events in Seoul, donating a total of 14 million won ($13,000) to the Um Hong-gil Humanity Foundation. The foundation was set up by mountaineer Um and has built 14 schools so far in rural Nepal.

“Captain Um believes education gives ‘hope and dreams.’ It is KAFLA’s concept, too. So we decided to support the Um foundation as a common goal,” a KAFLA representative said.

KAFLA vice president and social contributions leader Marie Chung said she was inspired to hold the walking events, after her trek in Nepal. She compared the country’s economic situation to South Korea’s immediately after the Korean War.

“I think Nepal is similar to us. They are very diligent people like us,” she said.

“Education is the key to overcoming poverty and I saw great hope in them. We believe education is the only way to cure poverty. That’s why we want to help Nepal.”

The walkathon will start at 9 a.m. in Gwanghwamun Open Civil Park near Gyeongbokgung Palace. Registration will be open from 8-8:30 a.m. and costs 10,000 won.

For more information or to register in advance, visit www.kafla.net.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)