An assignment from their English teacher - write a short essay on a charity and explain why you find it interesting - led Form 5A of Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School to venture into their first Operation Santa Claus (OSC) fund-raising effort in November.
Some of the students had read stories the South China Morning Post ran about OSC and its beneficiaries and this, coupled with the essay, led to raising money themselves.
'I didn't really know they would be very enthusiastic,' said English teacher Tara Gaughan, who promised to match the amount raised by the class. 'I believe this fund-matching idea provided them with more incentive.'
Ms Gaughan at first suggested everyone contribute HK$10 to OSC, but most of the 41 students gave more. Secretary of the class association Tom Kwok Chun-yeung, 16, gave HK$30. 'This is for helping people and HK$30 is not a big amount in my savings,' Chun-yeung said.
Within two days, the class had raised more than HK$600.
During an English lesson, Ms Gaughan held a cheque signing ceremony. Witnessed by the class, she wrote a bank cheque to OSC for HK$1,287.
'In this activity, the students learned that a small amount of money can make a difference,' Ms Gaughan said, adding that other classes in the school had followed Class 5A's move.
