HONG KONG (SE): The Caritas Charity Bazaar season got under way this year on November 5 with the secretary for education, Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, cutting the ribbon at Fa Hui Park in Boundary Street, Kowloon, on November 5.
 
At a short opening ceremony with Father John Baptist Tsang Hing-man, the chairperson of the Caritas Council, and other guests, Father Tsang encouraged all sectors of Hong Kong to work towards creating a society earmarked by the hope that young people can have the freedom and space to show their potential.
 
He said that this is one of the reasons why Caritas holds the bazaars, as they truly are a community event, run by the wider community on behalf of the whole community.
 
Father Tsang explained that the bringing together of large numbers of people from disparate backgrounds, with good participation of young people as well, is a deep experience of the importance of working together to make a better community in which to live.
 
The prize for the best game design went to St. Teresa Secondary School, with the best slogan award being picked up by La Salle College.
 
The one at Tuen Mun Cultural Centre, which was held on the same day, was opened by Father James Boey, the assistant chief executive of Caritas, and Father Liu Ah-lun, the dean of the North-West New Territories Deanery.
 
Thirteen parishes and secondary schools took part in the bazaar at Tuen Mun, as well as nine departments operating under the Caritas wing.
 
Around 800 volunteers spent the day manning the approximately 50 booths and some 6,900 people came to offer their support by showing their interest and spending a bit of money.
 
The creative slogan award was given to Caritas District Elderly Centre-Yuen Long.
 
The bishop of Hong Kong, Bishop Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, officiated at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the bazaar at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, on November 12. He was joined by Law Chi-kwong, secretary for Labour and Welfare, and Peter Leung Ming-hym, the assistant general manager of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited.
 
Bishop Yeung said that Caritas, as a diversified social service organisation, plays a role in giving hope to a society recently burdened by various social problems and livelihood issues. He believes the bazaar is a good platform for different sectors to come together to offer help to the needy.
 
Other bazaars took place at Pak Tai Temple Playground in Cheung Chau on November 12, and at the Sha Tsui Road Playground in Tsuen Wan and Yuen Wo Playground in Shatin on November 19.