Bank of East Asia staff let their hair down and give back to those in need

Staff from the Bank of East Asia swapped their suits and ties for more colourful garments to kick off a variety of charity fundraising activities over the festive period.

For the first time, the bank partnered with Operation Santa Claus (OSC), the annual charity campaign organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK, raising about HK$150,000 for 23 charities in the city.

Events over the course of a week included games, balloon twisting, caricature drawing and sales of sweets and ice cream.

Executive director Adrian Li Man-kiu said supporting the campaign was also part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility programme. “[The programme] focuses on education, social welfare, and the environment,” he said.

­Although the bank already worked with numerous NGOs, OSC enabled it “to reach out to a wider range” of causes it would not otherwise have come into contact with.

General manager and head of human resources Mimi Kam said at first employees seemed ­perplexed when they entered the staff canteen, which had been ­rearranged to host the games.

“However, as the week ­progressed, the atmosphere ­became increasingly boisterous, especially on the last day, which featured team games,” she said.