Press News

Budapest, December 9, 2008

The Santa Claus Factory opens again this year in Budapest and 14 country towns. The Santa Claus Factory is a gigantic Christmas gift distribution center that offers spectacular shows and entertainment programs while receiving gifts from people to immediately forward them to the needy with the involvement of the Hungarian Red Cross. Magyar Telekom, as the telecommunications partner of the Santa Claus Factory, is preparing for this year with a special surprise, an interactive Christmas message sending service.

Hungary’s largest Christmas gift collection campaign, the Santa Claus Factory will take place on December 13 – 21, 2008. In addition to the central site, Felvonulási tér in Budapest, the organizers await donations also in Csepel Plaza and Duna Plaza in Budapest, and in plazas in Debrecen, Győr, Kaposvár, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyíregyháza, Pécs, Sopron, Szolnok, Szombathely, Szeged, Székesfehérvár, Veszprém and Zalaegerszeg. The objective of the initiative is to collect gifts for the needy with the approach of Christmas. Last year 10,000 boxes of gifts were collected during the Santa Claus Factory period. Gifts were transported from Felvonulási tér in 100 trucks and distributed to almost 20,000 people.

Magyar Telekom regards corporate social responsibility as an integral part of its corporate culture; it pays special attention to supporting disadvantaged children, families and the needy. That is why the company joined the Christmas gift collection campaign again this year. Magyar Telekom is organizing the collection of gifts from employees at five sites in Budapest. The clothes, non-perishable food, hygiene products and toys collected will be transported in trucks provided by Magyar Telekom to the Santa Claus Factory at Felvonulási tér where the company’s employees do voluntary work to contribute to the success of the campaign. This year a new initiative is that Magyar Telekom’s mobile service brand T-Mobile offers entertainment to Santa Claus Factory visitors with a new interactive SMS service. The amount collected with this new Christmas message sending service will be donated by the company to support disadvantaged families and children with the involvement of the Hungarian Red Cross.