| Hong Kong, November 16, 2010 – Hong Kong’s popular Christmas charity Operation Santa Claus, kicks off tonight with a ceremony at the ground floor of the HSBC building in Central. Guests include Executive Council convenor, the Honourable Leung Chun Ying, South China Morning Post‘s Editor-In-Chief, Reginald Chua, and Canto-pop star GEM. RTHK’s Hugh Chiverton will be the producer for the ceremony which begins at 7pm. The kick off represents the 23rd anniversary of a charity that began in 1988 with a fundraising total of HK$140,000. Jointly organised by South China Morning Post and RTHK since its inception, and endorsed by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, which monitors all charitable concerns through their WiseGiving programme, Operation Santa Claus has become a mainstay of Hong Kong’s Christmas charitable giving. 2010’s target amount is to exceed the $12 million raised in 2009, and will be used to support 16 beneficiaries from many aspects of the Hong Kong community, including the elderly, children, the socially impoverished and those with special medical conditions. A new addition to this year’s roster of beneficiaries are two Social Enterprise projects, one supporting socially disadvantaged women workers, and another supporting the social re-engagement and employment of disabled. Two China based charities have also been included, Chi Heng Foundation, supporting Aids affected children and orphans in China, and Operation Smile, supporting children who suffer from cleft palate and lips. "We are continually moved and also motivated by the generosity of the people, communities and corporations of Hong Kong" explained Operation Santa Claus’ Project Director, Deon Lai. "So much time, effort and personal commitment goes into organising their fund-raising activities, which usually involve the participation of children, staff, family and friends. It is truly the heart of a Hong Kong Christmas." Already committed to participating in this year’s fundraising are regular donors, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, JP Morgan, UBS, RBS Coutts, Wing Ding, The Hash House Harriers, The Kowloon Cricket Club, The Hong Kong Police Training Unit, The Five-A-Side-Football Tournament, many of Hong Kong’s schools and kindergartens, plus 8 Hong Kong universities, through an all-new University Ambassador programme co-organised by the Hong Kong America Centre. "We’re very proud of the achievements Operation Santa Claus has made over the years" said Reginald Chua, Editor-In-Chief of South China Morning Post. "At the South China Morning Post, we enjoy a strong readership amongst the relatively privileged people of Hong Kong. Using our voice, we are able to motivate them to give back to the community. We’ve managed to build that bridge for 23 years and continue to invest our efforts into supporting what Hong Kong people care passionately about." For more information about how you or your organisation can participate in fundraising for Operation Santa Claus, visit osc.scmp.com or call Ms Deon Lai at 2680 8159. About South China Morning Post SCMP Group Limited (SEHK: 583) is a leading newspaper and magazine publisher in Asia. Its flagship publication, South China Morning Post, is Hong Kong’s premier English language newspaper and has the city’s most affluent and influential readership. First published in 1903, the newspaper has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Its online platform, scmp.com, reaches a global audience of China watchers with daily breaking news, multimedia articles and interactive forums. Striving to maintain the highest standards among the world’s quality newspapers, the South China Morning Post receives constant international recognition. It received 58 awards in 2010 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capability, a major achievement for any news media within the region. Other publication titles of the Group include the Sunday Morning Post, the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and CosmoGirl! magazines. |
| For further information please contact: Anne Wong Director of Marketing Tel: (852) 2680 8121 Email: communications@scmp.com |