American International School students raise money for Operation Santa Claus through charitable ‘free dress days’
- Pupils at the school in Hong Kong donated HK$20 for the chance to come to class in clothes of their own choice, instead of having to wear uniforms
- Proceeds were donated to an annual fundraising drive by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK
The international school in Kowloon Tong has been a longtime partner of Operation Santa Claus. Photo: Edmond SoIt was a colourful day at an international school in Hong Kong as children put aside their uniforms in favour of more individualistic attire to raise funds for charity.
American International School students who had donated HK$20 could come to class in clothes of their own choosing on December 21. Proceeds were donated to Operation Santa Claus (OSC), an annual fundraising drive by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK.
“This is part of a series of what we refer to as charitable ‘free dress days’,” said Zachary Post, principal of the institution’s middle-school division for children aged 10 to 15.
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As part of the school culture, the monthly free dress days allow students to make donations to various causes while getting the chance to dress casually. The one in December was dedicated to OSC.
“With this one, we encourage children to dress in red and green, the colours of OSC,” Post said.
A long-time partner of OSC, the school has raised more than HK$133,000 for the campaign since 2006, when it started supporting the drive.
“I feel great, knowing that we are going to donate to organisations that need help and help people in this world,” said Grade Eight student Kathy Chen, 13, who had helped with the production of event posters that were hung around the campus.
Post said working with OSC tied into the school’s core values of justice, knowledge and love.
“We always want to do the right thing, stand up for what’s right. And we know organisations and campaigns like OSC are helping to create a more just world. And then we also want to be loving and caring to people in need,” he said. “We do value having this partnership over time. We’ve worked with OSC for many years because we know the work they do is very productive in helping people. We try to always cooperate with OSC.”
Located in Kowloon Tong, the school educates students from about 20 countries.
Post said the OSC collaboration helped the students to become good global citizens. “Part of that is to be aware of the community and giving back to the community,” he said. “Any time you give, you get back probably more than you give in some way. We want to create this experience for our students”.
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He added that OSC, which supported different locally based NGOs, would help raise the students’ awareness of local charities and inspire them to get more involved with these organisations.
Marking its 35th anniversary, OSC has raised HK$353 million since its launch in 1988 to support the Hong Kong community through 323 projects. A total of 15 charity projects are being funded this year.
“I feel a sense of pride having made some sort of contribution to it,” said 13-year-old Grade Eight student Vardaan Sharma, who had helped coordinate the event.
“I feel very happy about it because charitable free dress days are the sort of thing that we students look forward to. During these fundraisers, I learn about the charities and what their mission is,” he added.