Hong Kong students, bankers have a ball for charity with Operation Santa Claus

An annual basketball fundraising tournament brought together Dah Sing Bank employees and Hong Kong students to promote teamwork and positive values both on and off the court.\nHeld at the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s Kowloon Centre on December 13, the Dah Sing Charity Score Challenge set out to raise funds for Operation Santa Claus (OSC), an annual charity drive co-organised by the Post and public broadcaster RTHK since 1988.\nThis year’s event saw more than 100 bank staff, along with their families and friends, take part in a series of games with children aged 10 to 14 from TREATS and Rugby For Good, both beneficiaries of OSC’s 13 charities.\nThe tournament also featured matches between the bank’s two corporate teams and the Tsing Yi Wolf-Warriors, a student team sponsored by the bank through the “WELL DUNK” programme.\nDah Sing Bank has been supporting OSC for 13 consecutive years, contributing to a wide range of charitable projects across the community.\nBeyond fundraising, the tournament aimed to cultivate a strong spirit of teamwork and corporate social responsibility among staff.\nKelvin Tam Ka-shing, bancassurance and direct business (commercial) manager at Dah Sing Insurance Company, said it was meaningful to play with students at the court.\n“Our main goal is to use sports as a tool to help young people develop skills that textbooks do not teach, such as teamwork and cooperation,” he said, adding that youth education and youth sports are two of the bank’s core values.\n“Our bank believes that, beyond physical fitness, sports also help students develop important life skills, including stress management and a sense of responsibility.”\nMew Leung Man-hon, financial service manager at Dah Sing Bank, added that the charity tournament not only supported teenagers from low-income families but also encouraged them to take part in sports and charity.\n“By leading through example, we hope to inspire young people to engage in more face-to-face interaction and build strong teamwork through the basketball games, just as banking is a field that relies heavily on collaboration. As a team sport, basketball naturally teaches people how to communicate and work together.”\n\nCheering from the sidelines were students from TREATS and Rugby For Good, who enthusiastically supported the players throughout the matches.\nAmong them was Fung Tsz-lok, 11, from TREATS, who also plays for his school basketball team.\n“This event allows people who are interested in basketball but don’t know how to play to have fun together and also learn some skills from the players,” said the student from Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School.\nAaron Liu Pak-shing, a student at Fung Kai Liu Man Shek Kong Secondary School in Sheung Shui, said he had gained a deeper appreciation for teamwork through the experience.\n“This match made me realise the value of teamwork. If a team doesn’t work together, they won’t be able to earn that many points,” the 14-year-old from Rugby For Good said.\nOSC, jointly established by the Post and public broadcaster RTHK in 1988, has raised around HK$396 million for over 365 charity projects and helped more than 100,000 people throughout the years.\nAlongside its annual fundraising drive, it is also leading an emergency appeal to meet the specific needs of residents affected by last month’s deadly fire in Tai Po.\nAll proceeds will support this year’s 13 OSC-funded charity projects and community partners involved in the fire relief efforts.\nClick here to learn more about how to donate to OSC.\n