"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.

"I'm happy to see her learning how to give to society," Morell said. "It's also a great chance for her to integrate further into the local community."

Kris Apungan, an American mother of two who had taken part in the walkathon for a number of years, said she wanted to explain to her children the meaning of charity and how important it was to lend a hand to people who were less fortunate.

"Although they might not fully understand this right now, they will as they grow up," she added.

With her little sister sitting in the stroller and her mother walking along, seven-year-old Amelia Apungan said: "Charity is also about companionship."

As the leading school fundraiser for Operation Santa Claus in the past decade, Discovery Mind is always thinking of new ideas and adding fresh concepts to the annual charity walk to boost its appeal in the future.

"For instance, we could host a run for the old boys and girls at primary school for next year's charity walk," said Sarah McCormack, principal of Discovery Mind Primary School.

"I believe that might get them more interested."

With a large number of students coming from expat families, the school has rolled out a range of events aimed at engaging the children more deeply with the local community.

Over the past year, pupils on Discovery Mind campuses have also been involved in fundraising for local refugees.