Operation Santa Claus: Discovery Mind youngsters learn importance of giving back to the community

More than 500 parents and children, the youngest aged only 15 months, staged a 4km hike in Discovery Bay to help the needy.

Wearing red T-shirts, pupils from Discovery Mind kindergarten, primary school and play centre campuses, together with their families and teachers, were "taking steps" side by side in their one-hour charity walkathon.

It marked the tenth year the school-sponsored walk had been held to raise money for Operation Santa Claus, the annual fundraising appeal jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK.

Discovery Mind director Cynthia Chow Ching-yee said the school had set a target that topped last year's donation of HK$120,000. The private education provider has raised a total of HK$1,190,592 over the past decade and grabbed the award for being top school fundraiser for six consecutive years.

"We feel very blessed to see people give both their time and money to help the less well-off," said Michele Fernandes, supervisor with the Discovery Mind play centre.

Over the past few weeks there had been a stunned sadness in the shadow of tragedies such as recent terrorist attacks, Fernandes said, and everyone hoped that the charity walk, through which children could get involved in an activity for the sake of the public good, would bring a sense of positivity into the community.

Spanish expatriate Javier Morell moved to Hong Kong with his family two years ago, and this was the first time he had brought his seven-year-old daughter along to the charity walk.