VietNamNet Bridge – Hotels in downtown HCM City last Friday celebrated the "Lighting Christmas Tree" ceremony to kick off the year-end festive season of Christmas and New Year.
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| Children await Santa Claus for gifts at the New World Hotel on Friday. |
The New World Hotel started its traditional Christmas tree lighting in the company of guests and children gathered at the lobby, where the tree stands.
After a short opening speech, Oliver Kahf, the hotel's newly appointed general manager, invited all the children to the switch, and then they started a countdown to turn on the lights. Christmas songs accompanied the ceremony.
At the same time, the Omni Saigon Hotel celebrated the event at its Lobby Lounge. James Mc Stay Ong, general manager of the five-star hotel, switched the lights on the 5-meter-high Christmas tree, beginning the Christmas festival.
On the occasion, he represented all of the hotel's staff to present VND10mil to a representative of the HCMC Relief Association for Handicapped Children, aiming to help unprivileged children.
'The amount was collected from our staff and management board within only one week," Ong said. "It is very meaningful to do a charitable action at the special occasion."
At that night, the Omni's Saigon Gym also held the Asian Night program to give sincere thanks to its customers throughout the years.
A charitable comer at the function attracted the interest of visitors. About 100 gifts valued at around VND100,000 each were sold that night to raise funds for the Operation Smile program.
(Source: SGT) |