Sands Shopping Carnival Engages Community

(Macao, Aug. 9, 2020) – With the Sands Shopping Carnival offering some weekend fun for the Macao community Aug. 7-9, the Sands Cares Ambassadors decided to host some local community partners to experience the carnival on its opening day at The Venetian^® Macao's Cotai Expo. To further support the community, Sands China also invited local community enterprises to set up booths at the three-day carnival.

Featuring over 500 booths and offering the best deals to Macao residents and tourists, the carnival was the largest shopping event of its kind in Macao. It provided a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers amid the pandemic period, while creating a new weekend destination for local residents and tourists, in support of the Macao SAR government's Consume for the Economy initiative.

On Friday afternoon, Sands Cares Ambassadors accompanied members of the Good Shepherd Sisters' Women's Mutual Help Centre and the Macao Down Syndrome Association to enjoy some of the carnival's attractions – showing them around and helping them practice safe virus prevention measures.

Around 20 family groups from Good Shepherd Sisters paired up with 20 Sands Cares Ambassadors to have fun at the carnival's inflatable slides, animal rides, balance bikes and game booths, followed by a walk around the carnival to do some shopping.

And another 20 or so family groups from Macao Down Syndrome Association joined 20 Sands Cares Ambassadors to make mini pizzas at the Luso International (LIB) Presents: Little Master Chef Workshop, with the children dressing up as chefs to make their pizza creations before moving on for some shopping around the carnival.

“Sands China is proud to take this opportunity to engage with some of the community groups we work with in order to promote diverse community participation,” said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd. “Events like the Sands Shopping Carnival present opportunities for our team member volunteers to give back to society in meaningful ways, and we are happy to see them hosting community groups to enjoy some summer fun during these extraordinary times.”

One of the participating Sands Cares Ambassadors Chan Kit Iu said: “I was glad I was able to be here with some of the community groups to help them enjoy the carnival and keep safe during the pandemic. It made me really happy to see their joyful faces here because I believe everyone in society right now needs some positive energy during this pandemic period.”

In further support to the community, Sands China also invited two local community enterprises – the Macau Association for the Mentally Handicapped's Casa de Petisco “Sam Meng Chi” and Fuhong Society of Macau's Corner of Portuguese Cuisine Cantinho Luso – to sell food during the three-day carnival. The goal was to provide an opportunity for the community groups' restaurants to gain exposure in the local commercial market and to create job opportunities for their members. Both restaurants provide vocational training services for their organisations' service users.

Macau Special Olympics participated in the carnival as well, showcasing some unique arts and crafts products made by its members at a booth. Some MSO members also got an opportunity to role-play as news reporters during the three-day event.

Some of the other diverse activities and attractions at the Sands Shopping Carnival included the ICBC ePay Presents: Karaoke King Singing Competition, an international-cuisine food area, performances, lucky draws, MOP 1 products, and deals up to 80 per cent off.

The Sands Cares Ambassador programme was established in August 2009 to give Sands China team members an outlet for serving the local community by organising community activities and initiatives that work toward creating a better Macao. With membership of more than 3,300 volunteers from across all Sands China properties – Sands^® Macao, The Venetian Macao, The Plaza^® Macao, Sands^® Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao – the Sands Cares Ambassadors have contributed more than 110,000 hours of voluntary community service since the programme's founding.

The Sands Cares Ambassador programme is part of Sands Cares, the global corporate citizenship programme of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp.  

Photo caption: Sands Cares Ambassadors gather together with members of Good Shepherd Sisters and Macao Down Syndrome Association after spending time together at the Sands Shopping Carnival Friday at The Venetian Macao's Cotai Expo. Featuring over 500 booths and offering the best deals to Macao residents and tourists, the three-day carnival was the largest shopping event of its kind in Macao, and supported the Macao SAR government's Consume for the Economy initiative.

 

Photo caption: Members of Macao Down Syndrome Association make mini pizzas with Sands Cares Ambassadors at the Luso International (LIB) Presents: Little Master Chef Workshop Friday at The Venetian Macao's Cotai Expo, as part of the three-day Sands Shopping Carnival.

 

Photo caption: Members of Good Shepherd Sisters and Macao Down Syndrome Association enjoy the Sands Shopping Carnival Friday at The Venetian Macao, accompanied by Sands Care Ambassadors.