Operation Santa Claus: Swire Pacific-backed charity drive wraps up after benefiting 2 million over 3 years
- Conglomerate’s TrustTomorrow drive has supported more than 70 projects since 2020, thanks to HK$150 million in support from Swire Trust
- TrustTomorrow and fundraising drive Operation Santa Claus ‘share common goal’ in supporting community and those in need, says John Swire and Sons’ James Tong
A Swire Pacific-backed charity drive in Hong Kong has wrapped up after three years, with the initiative helping more than 2 million people through a network spanning 100 partnerships with various NGOs.
The conglomerate’s TrustTomorrow has supported more than 70 projects since 2020, thanks to Swire Trust setting aside HK$150 million (US$19.2 million) for the drive.
John Swire and Sons (Hong Kong) public affairs director James Tong Wai-pong said TrustTomorrow had strengthened the company’s philanthropic work in alignment with Swire Trust’s target areas that comprised education, marine conservation, the arts, as well as the support of vulnerable groups during the pandemic.
“We’re dedicated to injecting hope and positivity into the Hong Kong community through the TrustTomorrow initiative,” he said. “It showcases our ongoing commitment to giving back and our unwavering confidence in the future of Hong Kong.”
He described the initiative as a collaborative platform that connected NGO partners, Swire companies and the wider community to amplify the positive effects of their collective efforts.
Swire Trust would continue to support NGOs and communities with resources from Swire Group, even as the TrustTomorrow scheme wrapped up this year, he added.
Projects that benefited from the scheme included Time Auction, Hong Kong’s first platform for skilled volunteers that connects them with a wide range of opportunities offered by NGOs.
Time Auction has so far matched more than 11,677 skilled volunteers with 616 NGOs involved in more than 2,000 programmes.
TrustTomorrow also gave funding support to social enterprise Holy Cafe during the pandemic, which ensured more than 24,000 free meals could be distributed to people with special needs.
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The initiative also collaborated with four NGOs and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service for the “Building Community, Building Tung Chung” programme, which aimed to create an inclusive neighbourhood.
Tong said the programme had benefited more than 17,000 people. “This case highlights the power of collective action, proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” he added.
He added that Swire Pacific was also a strong supporter of Operation Santa Claus (OSC), an annual charity drive organised by the Post and public broadcaster RTHK.
“Both TrustTomorrow and OSC share a common goal of serving and providing support to the local community and those in need through community, education and sustainability projects,” he said.
John Swire and Sons (Hong Kong) donated HK$200,000 to OSC this year.
OSC has raised HK$369 million to support the Hong Kong community through 338 charitable projects since 1988.
To celebrate the success of the TrustTomorrow initiative, Swire Pacific held a series of events this year, such as the “Connecting for a Brighter Tomorrow” drive in late September and a free community funfair at the Quarryside Community Space in November.
