Three groups to sell flags for charity on Saturday
**************************************************

     Three charities would hold flag sales on Hong Kong Island (Christian Action), in Kowloon (Open Door Ministries Limited) and the New Territories (Hong Kong Employment Development Service Limited) respectively on Saturday (March 14), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (March 12).

     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people distinguish between the three flag-selling activities.

     For enquiries, please call the department's hotline at 2343 2255, or SWD headquarters at 2832 4311 during office hours.

     Information on the flag days of the month is also available at the department's website (http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew/).

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the police.

     The Government has promulgated the "Reference Guide on Best Practices for Charitable Fund-raising Activities" for voluntary compliance by the charitable organisations. Members of the public may browse the Reference Guide on SWD homepage (http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_referenceg/).

     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on March 14 is as follows:

Region       Name of          Colour of       Colour
             Organisation     Collection Bag  of Flag
------       ------------     --------------  -------

Hong Kong    Christian        Green           White
Island       Action

Kowloon      Open Door        Yellow          Light
             Ministries                       Green
             Limited

New          Hong Kong        Orange          Orange
Territories  Employment
             Development
             Service Limited

Ends/Thursday, March 12, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:16

NNNN