CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR 1,200 REFUGEE CHILDREN AND CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTS AT THE WHITE PALACE

Belgrade, 6 January 2003. - TRH Crown Prince Alexander II, Crown Princess Katherine and their sons Princes Philip and Alexander hosted a very warm reception today, on the occasion of Christmas and New Year holidays, for more than 1,200 refugee children, children without parents, Romany children and development challenged children from Belgrade and the whole of Serbia. Their Royal Highnesses wanted to make all these children who are deprived of family warmth, happy by giving them Christmas presents - toys, candies and clothes.

Along with the gifts from friendly Greek people and numerous local companies that supported the Foundation of HRH Crown Princess Katherine, toys also arrived from the USA from Princess Katherine’s daughter Mrs. Alison Garfinkel and her granddaughters Amanda and Stephanie, who collected toys from their friends for Yugoslavian children.

The response was very good and several thousands beautiful toys packed with lots of love by Amanda and Stephanie, arrived in Belgrade.

Republic Commissioner for Refugees Mrs. Sanda Raskovic-Ivic and Serbian Minister of Social Affairs Dr. Gordana Matkovic joined Their Royal Highnesses in the warm welcome and dance with children.

And so The White Palace was full of cheerful young children age 4 to 12 who, together with Their Royal Highnesses, enjoyed the dancing and singing of popular entertainer Pedjolino and Santa Claus that came as a great surprise to them.

Children came in three groups:

In the first group, from 9 a.m. to 10, 30 a.m. around 550 children came from: Belgrade homes for neglected children “Dragutin Filipovich –Jusa”, “Mosa Pijade”, “Drinka Pavlovich” and “Jova Jovanovich Zmaj” ; homes from neglected children from Pancevo and Sremska Kamenica, children from “Romany hearth” and “Romany Centre” associations; children from refugee camps from Mirijevo and Resnik; children of parents disabled in war as well as socially deprived children and children from centres for family accommodation from Milosevac.

In the second group, from 11a.m. to 12 noon around 70 children came: handicapped and children disturbed in development from the Centre for mentally disabled people “Greta Kecman” from Belgrade and children from “Association of Egyptians” from Kosovo.

In the third group from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. came around 500 children from: homes for a neglected children from Negotin, Vranje, Krusevac, Uzice, Aleksinac, Sombor, Bela Crkva, Subotica, Kragujevac and Cuprija; orphans from war in Republika Srpska, children from centers for family accommodation from Aleksinac, children from humanitarian organization”Our Serbia” and children from association “Kosovski bozur” from Kosovo.

Especially touching for all those present were the tears of joy of two sisters protégées of the Center for neglected children in Paracin that met their little brother who is in another Center, after a long time, right at The White Palace.

With hands full of toys and fulfilled New Year’s wishes, children left The White Palace wishing only one more thing: to come back for the next Christmas.

After three receptions for refugee children and children without parents, Their Royal Highnesses, hosted a Christmas party for employees’ children at The White Palace as well.