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Families and children will revel in Hong Kong nostalgia at the HSBC Community Festival in Central on December 8.
The festival will run from 1pm to 6pm and admission is free. This year's theme is "Strengthening Ties, Building Community".
The event will open with a lion dance and cultural performances. Traditional games such as "Dime Pitch" and "Ring Toss - Aim and Throw!" will be featured at the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct to bring back fond childhood memories.
Among the festival's objectives is the promotion of family values in the community.
Booths showcasing the family values of respect and tolerance, responsibility, trust and family-work balance will be set up in zones themed on "Love", "Unity" and "Wellness" - three of the fundamentals of social cohesion.
The game booths will be run by partners of the HSBC Community Partnership Programme including government departments, non-government organisations and social groups from the 18 districts.
The festival is a signature event of the "Hong Kong: Our Home" Campaign under the "Caring Hong Kong" theme.
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Outstanding volunteers will be commended for their dedication to community services at the 2013 Hong Kong Volunteer Award Presentation Ceremony on December 7.
Organised by the Steering Committee on Promotion of Volunteer Service of the Social Welfare Department, the awards will pay tribute to volunteers who made significant contributions to our community in 2012 and have inspired others to make a difference through volunteering.
Long Service Awards and Highest Service Hour Awards will be presented at the ceremony, which will be held at the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre.
More than 1 million people have registered as volunteers in Hong Kong since 1998.
For more information, please visit www.volunteering-hk.org .
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Nearly 10 000 people from corporations, schools, community groups and government departments have signed up for the Carol Singing Festival 2013.
The festival is an annual flagship event of the Child Development Matching Fund (CDMF) to promote its mission of "Sing for Our Next Generation". The festival's 200 participating groups will perform at shopping malls, parks and tourist hotspots.
A launch ceremony will be held on December 8 at 1881 Heritage at Tsim Sha Tsui, with Santa joining a choir to sing festive tunes. The festival will be in full swing from December 14 to 25.
To sing in the festival, participants had to form groups with at least 10 people, with each person raising a minimum donation of $200. All money raised will be donated directly to the CDMF without deductions. The groups are welcome to sing carols in any language.
Participating groups will sing at Statue Square in Central, Hong Kong Park, Kowloon Park, Ocean Park, Ngong Ping 360, the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, MTR stations, on the Star Ferry and at many other locations.
Details of the performance locations will become available from December 8 onward at the websites www.cdmf.org.hk and www.facebook.com/HKCSF .
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December 8 will see the launch of Hong Kong Cancer Day, with singer Jacky Cheung serving as the Hong Kong Cancer Day Ambassador.
A launch ceremony will be held at the Kowloon Park Piazza at 2pm, and the VTC Symphony Orchestra will give the opening performance. Artiste Cheung Tat-ming, who was diagnosed with cancer, will share his recovery experience in a discussion session.
Cancer patient support groups and related organisations will set up information booths at the venue. Free health checks such as rapid testing for hepatitis B and bowel cancer screening, as well as counselling on cancer prevention and early detection, will be available to visitors.
Fun activities such as games and a magic show will be offered for families and children. Visitors can also write encouraging messages on cards to be sent to cancer patients.
On December 7, the day before Hong Kong Cancer Day, a symposium will be held for health-care professionals. Entitled "Cancer Control: Challenges & Opportunities", the symposium will be held at 8/F, Auditorium, Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong.
The symposium will cover topics including "Strategy on Cancer Control", "Cancer Prevention and Services" and "Advocacy for Cancer Control". The President of the Union for International Cancer Control, Professor Mary Gospodarowicz, will be one of the keynote speakers.
The two events above are highlights among those marking the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society. Admission to both is free. For details, please visit the website at www.hkacs.org.hk. For enquiries, please call 3921 3821.
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A competition being organised by Asian Outreach Hong Kong is encouraging people to show their appreciation for foreign domestic helpers through photos and words.
As part of the "Love Your Domestic Helper as Family" programme, the competition calls for photo-stories on the good relationship between local families and their foreign domestic helpers.
Entries will be judged according to the degree of warmth and harmony shown between employers and helpers. Entries should be emailed to events@aohk.org before February 14, 2014.
Photos for the competition must be saved in file sizes between 1MB and 3MB, and each photo should be accompanied by a caption of no more than 50 words in Chinese or English.
For competition details, please visit loveasfamily.aohk.org or call 2929 4013.
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Singers and rock bands based in the Tsuen Wan area will perform at a six-hour non-stop music marathon jointly organised by the Tsuen Wan District Council and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Tsuen Wan Youth S.P.O.T.
The TW Youth Music Marathon 2013 will be held on December 8 at Tsuen Wan Park from 2pm to 8pm. Well-known artistes Det Dik, Kandy Wong, Takki Wong and Felix Poon as well as pop groups Kolor and sp'ACE will join the event. Student groups from schools in Tsuen Wan will give guitar and ukulele performances.
The Music Marathon will also provide a platform for budding singers and musicians to showcase their talent to the public and gain stage experience in front of an audience. Each group will give a performance for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Music stalls will also be set up for spontaneous jamming sessions and for peers to exchange music ideas and skills. A mini-carnival will be held alongside the event for parents and children to visit.
Admission is free. For enquiries, please call 2413 6699.
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All these events support the "Hong Kong: Our Home" public participation campaign, which aims to inject positive energy into society, foster social cohesion and promote care, mutual help and solidarity in the community.
More than 245 Partner Organisations have so far pledged support for the Campaign.
Altogether, the Government and Partner Organisations are organising more than 1 000 events/activities under the four themes of the Campaign from the end of April to the end of December this year.
Full details of the Campaign can be found on the website www.hkourhome.gov.hk.
Ends/Sunday, December 1, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:00
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