More than 2,000 people including local residents and a number of foreigners on Saturday flocked to the Ho Chi Minh City’s White Palace Convention Center for the Consular Club’s 19th Annual Charity Bazaar.

>> Philanthropists need your help at charity bazaar

>> Consular Club holds international charity bazaar

The event, aiming to help underprivileged people in the southern region, was attended this year by countries including the US, Canada, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

The products on sale consist of those countries’ national costumes, cuisines, souvenirs, ceramics, fruits and books

“I want to say a special thank to everyone. People who used to join our previous bazaars as well as people are in here today are supporting us to help disadvantaged people around us,” Le Chi Tam, president of the club and wife of U.S. Consul General Le Thanh An, said in commencing the event.

While visitors used to have a chance to join a Grand Raffle and won prizes or vouchers for airline tickets, resort accommodations, and spa packages sponsored by well-known international and local enterprises in the previous bazaars, the event this year was even more exciting as it added two more special prizes, a Vespa LX 150 and a Honda SH.

Santa Claus also showed up and took pictures with attendants, providing a Christmas atmosphere into the event.

“We are here to support to the beautiful meaning of the charity bazaar, especially on the event’s activities to help disadvantaged children,” said Jakki Lydall, executive director of the British Business Group Vietnam, who sold a great variety of beverage at the bazaar together with her colleagues.

Judia from the Russian booth added that “We’d like to take part in this charity bazaar because we want to share our Russian traditional features to other countries.”

Consular Club’s president Le Chi Tam also shared that besides raising fund for underprivileged people, the bazaar has also been a bridge to link Vietnam with other countries as well as offering Vietnamese people chances to understand more about the cultures of the participating countries through their goods and cuisine.

Founded in 1994, the Consular Club of Ho Chi Minh City, a non-profit organization comprising of spouses of the city’s Consul-Generals, aims to make a contribution towards improving the quality of life of disadvantaged people, mainly in southern Vietnam.

Last year’s event raised nearly VND2.6 billion ($125,000), which went towards projects that grant scholarships, medical care, improved rainwater purification, and flood relief.

Below are some photos taken at the event:

Consular Club’s president Le Chi Tam annouces to open the event.