UBS bosses on santa suits for Operation Santa Claus
Bank raises HK$2.3m as top bosses serenade and cook for staff, and the office doubles up as a flea market and auction floor
How badly do you want your boss to clean your desk, cook a fondue dinner or make you a cup of tea?
As well as the auction, UBS also got more than 2,500 employees involved in games, raffles and silent auctions over the course of a week. The bank's efforts cashed in, raising HK$2.3 million - one of the largest single donations to the appeal so far.
The activities culminated in a Christmas costume party last Friday, with fancy dress characters including the 'Monkey King' Sun Wukong of Chinese legend, Korean rapper Psy, vampires and high school cheerleaders.
The festivities were amplified by the simultaneous celebration of the firm's 150th anniversary.
Last year, UBS's equities team began raising funds for OSC in the office. This year, the effort spread to all nine of the firm's departments. The philanthropic festivities saw a silent auction of artworks donated by the company, a flea market, with potted plants and festive headgear on sale, while employees in another department paid to see their boss belt out a Christmas song.
Allen Lo Chun-lun, country head and chief executive for Hong Kong at UBS, contributed 20 jars of his own homemade XO sauce - a spicy Chinese seafood condiment - for charity.
"From the cutting to the cooking, it was all done by me," Lo said. "Throughout its history in every country UBS is in, one of our main objectives is to give back to our community. We have been in Hong Kong since 1964, so we want to do more than just business here."
In its eighth year of supporting the Hong Kong Open golf tournament last month, the Swiss bank donated HK$77,000 to OSC after English player Steve Webster sank a hole-in-one at a designated "charity hole".
OSC, jointly organised by RTHK and the , is celebrating its 25th anniversary of raising funds for deserving projects.
HOW YOU CAN GIVE
- Donate online by credit card at osc.scmp.com
- Donate at an ATM or at any HSBC branch (account no: 502-676299-001 for SCMP Charities Ltd - Operation Santa Claus)
- You can donate with a cheque payable to "SCMP Charities Ltd - Operation Santa Claus" and mail it to: Operation Santa Claus, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, New Territories,
- Donations of HK$100 or more are tax-deductible. If you would like a tax receipt, please send the completed donation form and original bank receipt, with your name, address and phone number, to the above address. Please call 2680 8159 or e-mail [email protected] with any inquiries, or visit us online at osc.scmp.com
