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Hotel, foundation join hands to throw families a Christmas  celebration
Sufferers of a debilitating blood disease were able to forget their woes for a few hours when they and their families got together to celebrate Christmas with food, gifts and music.
The party at the Regal Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui East was staged by the Children's Thalassaemia Foundation, one of the Operation Santa Claus beneficiaries.
About 80 patients with thalassaemia major - one form of the disease which requires a lifetime of blood transfusions - 240 family members and foundation staff attended the annual event.
'The party allows the patients from eight hospitals and their families to have fun and keep in touch,'  foundation president Yeung Chap-yung said.
Professor Yeung said the foundation organised different  activities to unite the patients every year, with the Christmas party for them to relax and socialise.
The foundation, set up in 1981, was a 'most successful self-help group', the professor said.
'We hope the patients and their parents help themselves ... this is better than getting aid from non-patients.'
Guests enjoyed carols sung by the Sai Kung Choir and a lucky draw in which donated gifts and 10 child passes to Disneyland were given away.
Two of the passes were donated by former home affairs chief Shelley Lee Lai-kuen. 'With these passes, children can go to the park with different family members all the year.'
The park donated the  other passes.
The party was donated by  a new Operation Santa Claus donor, Regal Hotels International.
Lily Chan, group communications manager of  the company, said the venue, small gifts for guests such as Santa hats, and food and beverages cost around HK$50,000. 'As a hotel operator, we are experienced in organising parties. Therefore, we usually sponsor these events,' Ms Chan said.
The  company also introduced  charitable activities to support Operation Santa Claus. Donation boxes have been placed  at the hotels' lobbies and reception desks. The  firm will also donate 5  per cent of proceeds from its Christmas hamper sale to Operation Santa Claus.
Ms Chan said the  group earned HK$400,000 from Christmas hamper sales last year. 'The donation boxes on the reception desks allow guests to donate small change to OSC when they check out of the hotel, while they can also buy Christmas hampers for friends and help people in need,' Ms Chan said.



Sai Kung Choir delights annual gathering