Orbis Brightens the Darkness for Children in China With Charity Dinner

Hong Kong, China, September 27, 2016 /ChinaNewswire.com/ - AccorHotels supported the Orbis Darkness To Go charity dinner in Hong Kong on September 25. For the second year in succession, the group's properties in Hong Kong joined forces in supporting this very successful event. The participating hotels were The Park Lane Hong Kong, a Pullman Hotel, Novotel Hong Kong Century, Novotel Hong Kong Citygate, Novotel Hong Kong Nathan Road Kowloon, ibis Hong Kong Central & Sheung Wan and ibis Hong Kong North Point.

This very special theme event took place at Novotel Hong Kong Century. More than 200 guests attended and the evening raised over HK$180,000 for charity.

This dinner offered participants the unusual experience of relying on only four of their five senses – sound, taste, touch and smell – as their eyes were blindfolded throughout the meal. The aim of the event was to do more than fundraising as it was also intended to help participants reach a better understanding of the challenges faced by the visually-impaired.

“This is a doubly meaningful event,” said Michel Molliet, Chief Operating Officer, AccorHotels Greater China.  “I am sure that the evening has given us all a greater awareness of the daily challenges facing the visually-impaired. We have enjoyed a novel and thought provoking experience in addition to the highly satisfying fund raising aspect of the evening. I'd like to thank everyone involved in making this event such a success. Our collaboration with Orbis is part of AccorHotels' long-standing commitment to give back to local communities.”

“This is our fourth Darkness to Go dinner. With the launch of the third generation Flying Eye Hospital (FEH), we believe the more enhanced medical and communication capabilities of this new Flying Eye Hospital will enable us to create better futures for the visually impaired. In addition to that, we have kick-started its first sight-saving mission in Shenyang, China in September. ” said Mary Lau, Orbis Director of Development, China and Hong Kong. “I would like to grasp this opportunity to express my very special thanks to AccorHotels and its properties in Hong Kong for their generous sponsorship on the event for joining us to eliminate avoidable blindness.”

The Darkness to Go dinner was part of the group's continuing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme aimed at preventing avoidable blindness among children in rural China.

Since June 2014 AccorHotels and Orbis have collaborated in Stay for Brightness CSR programme. Designed and implemented with the aim of developing comprehensive eye care for children, this programme helps to make high quality ophthalmological services accessible and affordable for disadvantaged children.