Operation Santa Claus 2012: still giving after 25 years
Operation Santa Claus hits its quarter-century this year, with more than HK$100 million raised for dozens of charities since it began back in 1988
It started with popular DJs pulling crazy stunts to attract donations. Then it turned into a multimedia fund-raiser well before the internet age.
The charity drive, jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), identifies the changing needs in the community, explains them to the public and channels help to where it is needed at Christmas.
Year after year donations are collected, from schools, clubs, companies and generous individuals, in a series of fund-raising events that boost the season's festive atmosphere. With cash from OSC, small charitable organisations have expanded and thrived, helping more and more people in need.
"Christmas is a time for giving, a slot in the calendar where people are feeling generous," says Alastair Monteith-Hodge, who organised the campaign in its first year, 1988. He was an RTHK radio presenter and producer at the time, and is now chief executive of the Children's Cancer Foundation. Operation Santa Claus' roots date back to the 1960s, Monteith-Hodge says. The tradition started with RTHK Radio 3 presenters performing public stunts to raise funds for charity. They dived into Victoria Harbour in the winter cold, read poetry on roofs and climbed flagpoles among other capers.
