An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but not when there's a full-on feast benefitting Operation Santa Claus and its 13 beneficiaries.
Doctors, nurses and staff members at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital came together for a special Christmas lunch held in and around the facility's fourth-floor auditorium. There, hundreds of people paid HK$100 to eat home-cooked meals and desserts prepared by staff from nearly 25 different hospital departments.
The admission fees - along with a dollar-for-dollar matching campaign arranged by the hospital, silent auction bids and raffle sales - went towards helping Operation Santa Claus and its chosen charities. The total is still being calculated.
The main room was decorated with tinsel, balloons and festive ceiling hangings. Christmas music was played over loud speakers and, later, entertainers performed magic and music for the group. Dr Joseph Chan Woon-tong, deputy medical superintendent, wore a Santa hat during the festive event on Monday. Chan, along with Agatha Hu, the hospital's community services development director, recently helped form the Village Volunteers, the hospital's community outreach programme.
This is the first year the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital is an Operation Santa Claus sponsor.
'Christmas is giving... What we like about Operation Santa Claus is we can visit the different beneficiaries at a later time, so we can get to know them,' Hu said. 'We hope to help them.'
The privately run hospital is something of a family affair. Dr Walton Li Wai-tat is medical superintendent of the hospital, the same position his father, Dr Li Shu Pui, once held. The superintendent's elder brother, Wyman Li, is a hospital manager and a member of the board of directors. And the siblings, whose uncle started the hospital more than 80 years ago, have many other relatives working for the facility. 'Our staff are part of the family,' Dr Li said.
During the event, awards were handed out by Deon Lai, project director for Operation Santa Claus, and Bryan Curtis, head of RTHK's English programme service.
Before the presentation, Curtis told the crowd: 'We're helping children, we're helping the elderly, we're helping those with medical disease, with mental handicaps, physical handicaps... I know you've had a lot of fun [today]. And this is Christmas at its best, giving to people less fortunate than all of you.'
The award for best savoury cooking went to the outpatient department, which also won a prize for best decorated booth. The obstetrics and gynaecology department was a runner-up for the best decorated booth.
That department is expecting at least one child to be born at the hospital this Christmas.
When asked what it is like having a child born in the hospital on Christmas, Chan, who also serves as the head of the Department of women's health and obstetrics, gave a humorous answer. He said the mother is happy, but the obstetrician and child might not be as upbeat.
The obstetrician has to work on a holiday, he joked. And the Christmas baby is now guaranteed only one present annually 'instead of two'.
You can help make a difference
How you can give
Donate online by credit card at osc.scmp.com
Donations can be made by ATM or at any HSBC branches: a/c number 502-676299-001 for SCMP CHARITIES LTD - OPERATION SANTA CLAUS
You can donate by cheque, payable to 'SCMP CHARITIES LTD - OPERATION SANTA CLAUS' and mailed to:
Operation Santa Claus, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Donations of HK$100 or more are tax-deductible. If you'd like a tax receipt, please send the completed donation form and original bank receipt, with your name, address and phone number, to the address above
Contact us at osc@scmp.com or 2680 8159 or visit us online at osc.scmp.com