Rock the Runway, the fundraising drive by Continental Airline for the company’s annual Toys for Tots Christmas event may have been hampered by rain but it certainly did not dampen the spirit of giving. The show was such a success that today continental airline doubled the number of children who receive gifts. Two hundred boys and girls representing twenty primary schools were handed presents at the House of Culture.
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Now we know that there are far more kids that are in need of this type of assistance at Christmas, so how do you go about deciding which child will receive?”
Indira Craig, Country Manager – Continental Airlines
“Well they all will receive gifts today. Every child that is here will receive a gift inclusive of the opportunity to win a bicycle for the younger ones because they are between ages five and seven and the gifts that we have set out for them, we find that the bicycle that really appeals to them so we have five bikes today that they are going to be playing the bozo game and when they win, we are going to be giving out for two girls and two boys the grand prize. Each child will be given a gift.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Is it Continental Airlines that actually chooses the kids who will be receiving the gifts or is that left up to the teachers?”
Indira Craig,
“We send the invitations out and we try to be selective as to what school we cater to, we go to the more impoverished schools and then the teachers decide who will be sent from the school. So we just request for each of the 20 schools that we sent that they send their neediest kids and that is how they do the sorting out process.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Indira because the Rock the Runway was such a huge success, will that now become an annual event?”
Indira Craig,
“Well we certainly try to make sure that it becomes an annual event. I think we try to look at fundraisers, this has been the most successful fundraisers and the truth now is we have a bigger mandate because not only are we catering for the children with the Christmas party but we’ve extended it to do something more tangible which is to work with the kids living with HIV and Aids.”
On Tuesday Continental Airlines will give a monetary donation for Hand in Hand Ministries as well as be working with Alliance Against Aids in their work with children living with HIV and Aids.
