`Queen of The Night' a Big Hit With Malaysians
Posted on: Monday, 12 May 2008, 00:00 CDT
KUALA LUMPUR: It's spring in Holland. Malaysians could once again fill mum's arms with tulips from Amsterdam for Mothers Day today.
Three thousand tulips were flown in on Friday for Royal Dutch Airlines' (KLM) 10th annual charity sale and within three hours they were all sold out.
And to celebrate 50 years of uninterrupted service to Malaysia, the Dutch national airline flew in 200 black tulips, also known as "Queen of the Night".
"The black tulip is rare and has a special appeal, which is why we brought them in this year as a special treat for the sale.
"It is also our way of thanking the community for all their support and generosity. We are very proud to be able to work with Malaysians who are always ready to support a worthy cause," said Air France-KLM country manager Estee Ng.
Held annually at Sungei Wang Plaza, the Charity Tulip Sale allows people to buy a unique flower for Mother's Day and contribute to the less fortunate.
This year's beneficiary is Hospis Malaysia, a non-governmental organisation that offers palliative care to those with life- limiting and terminal illnesses.
It will receive RM22,000 from the proceeds of the sale.
Netherlands ambassador to Malaysia, Lody Embrechts said the tulip was special to Malaysians as it was not easily available here.
"It seems fitting that this special flower is given to someone special, like mothers."
Since the airline started the annual sale of tulips 10 years ago, scores of seriously ill, handicapped and underprivileged children and adults have benefited from the generosity of Malaysians.
The proceeds from previous sales have been used to purchase medical equipment for public hospitals.
(c) 2008 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: New Straits Times
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