Christmas lights are reflecting in the water of Victoria Harbour, decorations are brightening up the shopping centres and mobile phones are ringing with the tunes of carols - Christmas is on it's way. These sorts of gimmicks may well be attractive, but what about the Christmas spirit of love and caring? Operation Santa Claus (OSC), an annual campaign that raises funds for 12 local charities, will offer you an array of meaningful yet fun-filled activities throughout December, in which you can experience the real Christmas spirit. First launched in 1988, OSC is jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK. The theme for this year is 'The race for hope - 30 days to make a difference.' The campaign will kick off with the traditional Christmas launch at the Government House tomorrow. While the official start is tomorrow, the energy-packed 5-A-Side Football Tournament taking place today from 9.30am to 4.30pm at Stanley Fort Sports Field, Stanley, will give you a great warm-up. This year, up to 20 adult teams will take part in the tournament. The mini-soccer tournament for children is a new event this year. It will start at around 12.30pm and finish by 1.30pm. Gus Caesar, ex-professional player from Arsenal FC and local team Buller Rangers, will present the trophy to the winners. The event also makes a good day out for families, as the entertainment after the tournaments will appeal to all ages. There will be barbecues, a bouncing castle, face painting and a special visit by Santa himself. Entry is free for the public, but all visitors must have their HKID card / passport with them because this is an operational military base opened specially for this event. Another exciting highlight of the OSC calendar is the Charity Scavenge Challenge, which will take place on December 5 from 11am to 4pm. The competition will involve a maximum of 30 teams, with four participants in each. Partakers will be dressed in fancy costumes and have to solve riddles and hunt for Hong Kong landmarks and buildings. The course will cover a route stretching from Central to Wanchai. 'The scavenger hunt was a great way to build teamwork and communication skills, as it involved us all having to think about the best way to use the limited time we had to solve as many clues as possible,' said Natalie Goodridge, 18, who participated in last year's Scavenge Challenge with her former schoolmates from the Island School. 'We all got to know Hong Kong a little better. We learnt when the Edwardian red brick building in the Western Market was built, (in 1906) and discovered the origins of the unusual statue of a golden-winged figure under the clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui.' Nicky Walker, of the Walker family, which won the best family team award last year, agreed and added, 'The children learnt a lot as we had to run around historical areas and explore back streets, which we hadn't been to before. They also learnt not to blame each other even when they sometimes followed the wrong clues.' The registration deadline for the Charity Scavenge Challenge is Wednesday. Register online at www.teambuildingasia.com . Entrance fee for each team is $600 including light refreshments. All proceeds will go to OSC. Besides family activities, many schools have also organised fund-raising activities for OSC. The German Swiss International School will host a Christmas concert on December 9 at 6.30pm in the Irene Buchholtz Hall of the school. The concert features singing performances by students from Primary 4 to Form 6. Admission is free but a donation box will be provided. The Shung Tak Catholic English College, which has joined the campaign for the ninth year, will turn its campus into a fairground on December 16 and 17 from noon to 1.30pm. The fair, organised by its English Department and the Student Union, will include stalls selling tasty food and Christmas decorations. In addition, a basketball match will be held between teachers and students. And don't forget that, from next week, the Young Post will be running a weekly OSC Christmas tree, which will list the names of all the schools fundraising for OSC If you would like to be involved in OSC, contact Anita Ritchie, Project Director of OSC, on 2250 3185 or e-mail anita.ritchie@scmp.com