Pushing the Envelope

Next time the waiter brings you the billfold after a meal at a Shangri-La hotel, be sure to dig deep. The Asia-Pacific hotel chain is running a charitable drive, entitled Dare to Care, at around 40 of its properties, from Dubai to Sydney. Guests put their donations into a red envelope contained in the billfold (the packets are based on the traditional Chinese envelopes used for making gifts of money at festive occasions) and the sums are given to the Beijing-based charity Care for Children, for use in the organization's One in Ten initiative. The goal is to see 1 million Chinese orphans placed in loving mainland homes by 2010; over 40,000 placements have been secured so far. Envelopes are also left in guest rooms at evening turndown—alternatively, donations can be made on checkout. For more information, visit careforchildren.com.cn.