Underprivileged children from the Christina Noble’s Children Foundation present a dance performance, part of lighting up the Christmas Tree at Sheraton Saigon. — Photo courtesy of Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers.

Underprivileged children from the Christina Noble’s Children Foundation (CNCF) in HCM City were among the special guests attending the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers to kick off the festive season.

The hotel welcomed 100 children from the CNCF along with another 190 guests to its festive programme which features such fun activities as dance and singing performances, the joyful presence of Santa Claus with gift giving to children and lighting up a magnificent Christmas tree.

This celebration also highlighted the commitment of the hotel to continue its ongoing initiatives for local charity programmes “Wish Upon A Star” and “Give A Teddy Bear, Save A Child”.

Decorated with dozens of enchanting Christmas trees around the hotel adorned with dazzling twinkling lights and complemented by an assortment of 6,000 ornaments, this event celebrates "20 years of Tender Loving Care" for the hotel’s local communities since 2003.

It has been the hotel’s annual activity that's designed to help fulfill the festive season wishes of underprivileged children from the Bình Chánh Development Support Centre and CNCF through its Serve 360 initiative’s ‘Wish Upon a Star’.

General Manager Julian Wong said, "We will collect 140 wishes from children from these centres and foundations, written on stars and hung on our Christmas trees. We respectfully invite all of our guests to choose a star for yourself, and contribute a gift to help the children's wishes come true.”

"As a strategic business council partner of Operation Smile Vietnam, we are dedicated to transforming the lives of children who are born with and affected by cleft lips or cleft palates,” he said.

“For every teddy bear purchased, guests will be making a direct contribution to the surgery fee for a child in need,” Wong said.

Those interested in the donation programmes can visit the hotel lobby to join these meaningful initiatives. Donations are being received until December 17 for “Wish Upon A Star” and December 25 for “Give A Teddy Bear, Save A Child”.

Sheraton Saigon is located at 80 Đông Du Street in HCM City’s District 1.— VNS