Internet taps the city's spirit of giving While it's still more than a week to the December 1 launch of the Operation Santa Claus Christmas Tree, which tracks fund-raising progress, the campaign's website has already attracted more than HK$560,000 in donations. The annual charity drive, coorganised by the South China Morning Post and Radio Television Hong Kong and now in its 21st year, was launched at a ceremony at Ocean Park two weeks ago. Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei, the campaign's honorary patron for the second year, told a cheerful crowd: 'We are blessed to have a rich tradition of giving to charity from enterprises in Hong Kong. It feels good to do good and Operation Santa Claus has a history of doing good. 'The money raised will help them to provide much needed services,' she said, referring to the 13 charities that will benefit from this year's campaign. Mrs Tsang, the wife of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, said she enjoyed 'this special way of showing this shared commitment to a very meaningful cause'. Mrs Tsang is president of the Hong Kong Red Cross, honorary patron of the Federation of Women, and patron of the Red Ribbon Centre, an Aids education, resource and research centre established by the Department of Health, among other roles in the community. This year's Operation Santa Claus ambassador, singer-songwriter Ivana Wong Yuen-chi, said saying yes to the role was a no-brainer. 'I've done a lot of charities and it's like a calling,' she said. Christmas was her favourite season because 'I am a Christian'. '[Operation Santa Claus] is also a very unique, meaningful event because it raises money for people and less fortunate people,' she said. She spoke of a visit to India where she saw 'unfortunate people and their desperate lives'. 'Being one of the luckiest people in this luckiest city I must say, Hong Kong, I think we should do more. I am very honoured to help in this charity.' As well as belting out her signature Canto-pop song I Come from Mars' Infinite Journey at the November 11 kick-off ceremony, she will also be involved in a series of charity events throughout the campaign. Ocean Park, which hosted the launch ceremony free, has been associated with the annual charity drive in the past three years. Chairman Allan Zeman, who is tipped to join Mr Tsang's inner cabinet, said: 'In essence it is a very good cause and, as Ocean Park provides so much happiness to children, to parents, to grandparents, there's no better place to have Operation Santa Claus hosted - and it's good luck. We provide a lot of good luck to the people of Hong Kong.' The beneficiaries 1 End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation 2 Operation Dawn 3 Youth Outreach - School of Hip Hop 4 Caritas Hong Kong 5 Hong Kong Unison 6 Produce Green Foundation 7 SoulTalk Foundation 8 HK Young Women's Christian Association 9 Children's Heart Foundation 10 Lions Kidney Educational Centre and Research Foundation 11 The Society for Aids Care 12 Grace Link Charity 13 The Samaritans Special project SCMP Homes for Hope Funding target HK$10 million