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Cindy Sui

Hong Kong’s annual fundraiser, Operation Santa Claus (OSC), has wrapped up its campaign this year, raising more than HK$19 million (US$2.4 million) for charitable projects and victims of the Tai Po fire – nearly double its target.
The campaign, launched on November 4, had aimed to raise at least HK$11 million for 13 charitable projects. However, fundraising intensified less than three weeks later, after the Tai Po fire broke out on November 26.
An emergency appeal was launched to raise funds to help victims of the Wang Fuk Court blaze, which claimed 168 lives, injured 79 others and displaced nearly 5,000 people.
At a closing ceremony at the social enterprise Museum Cafe 8 at Central Pier 8 on Tuesday, OSC’s organisers – RTHK and the South China Morning Post – thanked all sectors of society for their generous support. They said the citywide campaign each year strived to build a more inclusive and compassionate future for Hong Kong.
“In times of urgent need and uncertainty, speed and unity are essential. Your quick responses and incredible resilience have shown that when our neighbours are struggling, this community truly steps up,” SCMP publisher Tammy Tam said.
“We have seen the impact of turning compassion into action. Each one of you offered hope and support when it mattered most. And you demonstrated the powerful connections that bind us together. Your kindness helps to strengthen our community as a whole.”

Out of the donations, HK$5.3 million was raised through the Tai Po fire emergency appeal and will be allocated to four charity projects focused on helping those affected by the disaster.
They include Tai Po Baptist Church Social Service, which is helping 300 displaced residents to rebuild local connections and regain a sense of home and community through social and recreational support.
Missions for Migrant Workers is delivering multilingual crisis intervention and specialised mental healthcare for 50 migrant domestic workers affected by the fire, ensuring they receive care, fair treatment and a safer work environment.
MindHK is providing mental health support for residents and frontline responders, ranging from early screening and high-intensity trauma treatment to building long-term emotional resilience.
Habitat for Humanity is helping 350 families transition from temporary shelters to safe, permanent and dignified homes.
“As we know, the recovery work is still ongoing, and healing continues. We hope our contribution will help the community heal better and move forward together,” Tam said.
The 13 local charities selected for OSC donations this year will receive the remaining HK$13.9 million raised.
They will use the donations to deliver a wide range of programmes this year, such as helping injured workers with their rehabilitation so they can earn a living again, ensuring teens suffering from mental health issues get the care they need to prevent problems from worsening, and teaching life skills to under-resourced youth and people from ethnic minority groups, including social responsibility, financial literacy, swimming and career planning.
Other projects will help domestic workers build peer support networks, provide people with disabilities with lifelong care, nutritional advice and tailored exercise, and give children with rare diseases subsidies for life-saving medicine.
There are also projects to provide low-income and socially isolated elderly people with socialisation and food through urban farming, and connect special needs children with senior citizens for mutually beneficial intergenerational outdoor activities.
Angel Cheng, controller of radio at RTHK, said this year’s campaign theme, “Building Bridges”, was about connecting those who wanted to give and those who needed support, as well as connecting compassion with action.
“Over these past three months, we have seen those bridges grow stronger day by day … We have connected donors with beneficiaries. And now due to Hong Kong’s immense generosity, those beneficiaries will be able to reach further and create lasting change in months ahead,” Cheng said.
She said the spirit of giving was not just for Christmas and continued throughout the year along with the impact of the campaign, adding that she looked forward to crossing bridges still to come, including new projects, partnerships and opportunities, to make a difference.

At the closing ceremony, OSC presented six awards to outstanding corporations and schools for their exceptional fundraising efforts.
Morgan Stanley received the Top Corporate Fundraiser award while DSC International School was the Top School Fundraiser.
Swire Properties Management Limited was named the Most Creative Corporate Fundraiser, while Cumberland Presbyterian Church Yao Dao Secondary School was the Most Creative School Fundraiser.
Linklaters won the Best Santa’s Helper Award and Korean International School received the School Community Contribution Award.
The ceremony also featured a video address by OSC’s ambassador, Miss Hong Kong 2020 winner Lisa-Marie Tse Ga-ye, as well as a musical performance by singer Manson Cheung.
Donors shared insights into their fundraising achievements and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting OSC’s mission of spreading love and care, while beneficiary organisations expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the generous donors.

OSC, a flagship charity campaign in Hong Kong, began in the 1960s when presenters from Radio Hong Kong – the predecessor of RTHK – carried out a variety of creative fundraising activities, including winter dives into Victoria Harbour, to raise funds for communities in need.
Building on this legacy, the annual campaign was officially launched in 1988 as a joint initiative between RTHK and SCMP.
Since then, OSC has raised over HK$396 million and supported more than 365 charitable projects across Hong Kong. It has benefited more than 100,000 people and grown into one of Hong Kong’s most recognised and trusted charity campaigns.
Find out more about OSC here.


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Hong Kong society

Operation Santa Claus raises HK$19 million for Hong Kong fire victims, other causes

Operation Santa Claus has raised HK$19 million this year, nearly double its target. Photo: Jonathan Wong

RTHK’s controller of radio, Angel Cheng (left), and SCMP publisher Tammy Tam reveal the total amount raised. Photo: Jonathan Wong

David Wallis, head of Morgan Stanley’s Asia-Pacific prime brokerage sales and chair of the Hong Kong Philanthropy Committee, receives the Top Corporate Fundraiser award. Photo: Handout

Operation Santa Claus: law firm volunteers dig deep with Hong Kong elderly

Deacons law firm, a major supporter of Operation Santa Claus, lends a hand to Farm the City. Photo: Wong Kin Fung

Farm the City co-founder says the event gave the organisation a chance to spread awareness about supporting local farms. Photo: Wong Kin Fung

The Hong Kong charity helping neurodivergent people eat better, exercise more and belong

Love 21 Foundation offers nutrition and fitness training for those with Down syndrome, autism, or other neurodiverse conditions. Photo: Cindy Sui

Matthew Fung gives one-on-one nutritional counselling to a programme member and his parent. Photo: Handout

Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong charity to train ethnic minority teens as coaches

Treats executive director Mabel Lo (left), and Kaur Samreen (right). Photo: Cindy Sui

Kaur Samreen (left) says she has learned to understand and communicate with children with special needs through the programme. Photo: Treats

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Hong Kong

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Annual fundraiser by RTHK and South China Morning Post hits nearly twice its target after intensified fundraising in the wake of Tai Po blaze


Annual fundraiser by RTHK and South China Morning Post hits nearly twice its target after intensified fundraising in the wake of Tai Po blaze.


Operation Santa Claus raises HK$19 million for Hong Kong fire victims, other causes

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Annual fundraiser by RTHK and South China Morning Post hits nearly twice its target after intensified fundraising in the wake of Tai Po blaze

Annual fundraiser by RTHK and South China Morning Post hits nearly twice its target after intensified fundraising in the wake of Tai Po blaze