On Friday 28th December, the Cable & Wireless Seychelles Foundation hosted a special lunch to honour the Special Olympics athletes who recently participated in the Special Olympics Summer Games in China. The lunch was attended by Minister Meriton in the company of Senior Officials from their respective Ministries and Special Olympics members. Also present were athletes, volunteers as well as a group of staff from Cable & Wireless headed by Mr. Charles Hammond Chief Executive, who presented the athletes with a small token of appreciation which included a SR1500.00 cheque each. In addition to that, Mr. Hammond donated a cheque of SR20 000.00 to the Special Olympics Seychelles. The donation is to help the association in preparation of the athletes for 2008 competitions and also assist in procuring equipment to facilitate their training. In a short speech before officially handing over the items, Mr. Hammond highlighted the role of the Foundation and its achievements since it was launched. "Today, I am honoured that the Foundation has once again supported the Special Olympics Seychelles. Recently a group of special athletes participated in the Special Olympics Summer game in China. They had our flag fly high on 6 occasions, thus giving a 100% success rate. Doesn’t that make someone proud at Cable & Wireless we are, and today I am pleased to tell you that we have brought with us a small token of our appreciation for each of you!" said Mr. Hammond at the lunch. The Cable & Wireless Seychelles Foundation was launched in 2005 and to date has assisted many NGOs, orphanages and schools to name a few. It is positioned as an extra to Cable & Wireless’ normal sponsorships but with added focus on a few critical areas. On a regular basis the Foundation provides support primarily in the form of ‘donations in kind’ or financial where relevant. Working under the slogan, "A helping hand for a stronger community", the Cable & Wireless Seychelles Foundation is designed to meet 3 key objectives: To establish and build partnerships with charitable and community organizations focusing on groups with "special needs". To actively contribute in the strengthening of communities in which we live and work. To enhance the Cable & Wireless brand by promoting its role as a responsible corporate citizen.