Three groups to sell flags for charity on Saturday
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     Three charities would hold flag sales on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories respectively on Saturday (January 31), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (January 29).

     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 January 31 is as follows:

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

Hong Kong    Institute for  Light Green     Light
Island       Integrated                     Green
             Rural
             Development,
             Hong Kong

Kowloon      1st Step       Orange          Orange
             Association
             Limited

New          Yan Oi Tong
Territories  Limited        Yellow          White

Ends/Thursday, January 29, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:31

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