nakatago wrote:
I participated in a tree planting program in Woodlands as part of my company's outreach.
When we got there, the holes have been dug already and the sack covering the clump of soil of the saplings' roots have been removed.
Our company had us in groups of six. Six people to put a tree and fill-in dirt.
I thought it was just our group but I saw a man with his family celebrating his 50th birthday. Same set-up. Shovel in dirt, pose for a photo.
I wonder if your company paid to participate in this. If so it seems exactly same-same.
My ex-employer (a bank) used to have an annual '''charity''' programme called 'Christmas Calls'. The last weekend before Xmas they'd ship in coachloads of pensioners, who lived in London but hailed from all around the world. They were each given an hour +/- to call which ever relatives they liked, anywhere in the world. We'd get Santa in, with free gifts and a decent Xmas lunch, and two way transport in and back home.
This was before the days of mass-market discount 'call over-ride' but the technology was similar, in that the trading floor phone lines were permanently open, and it didn't impact cost if calls were made, or how many, or where to. So the calls cost nothing. The staff attending were all volunteers. Santa was a member of staff. So the only cost was F+B, token (probably branded, lol) gifts, and transport.
Of course we'd also invite in all the media, and just about every year it would be a feel-good front page picture splash, on the nations broadsheet dailies.
What a total con-trick.
