The Time for Sharing fund treats 25 children from Prague's Zbraslav children's shelter to a Friday, Dec. 15 performance at the Spejbl and Hurvinek children's theater; snacks and presents at the Detsky dum shopping center. The public can join in at 2:30 p.m. Gifts are welcome.

Prague groups look to fulfill children's Christmas wishes

Roman Kruglov loves the Christmas hymn "Silent Night," but the 11-year-old still has trouble hitting the high notes. Thankfully, his mother fills in from behind the piano while her blond son sings on stage.
Natalya Kruglova and Roman are making their Czech debut at a benefit Christmas party hosted by the Organization of Aid to Refugees (OPU), a small nonprofit organization. The ethnic Russians are refugees from Kazakstan.
Kruglova has been filling in the high notes for years. "Roman was 4 years old when he first performed 'Silent Night,' she reminisces. "I thought that would be the first and last time."
The mother-son act was followed by other performances by refugee children from Moravia and Afghanistan.
Holiday crafts and cookies made by refugee women decorated the hall, and presents were given to children.
OPU is one of many organizations helping make the holidays a little warmer for the country's less fortunate citizens, especially children. Throughout Prague, corporations and charities are lending an ear and a hand, and giving away lots of presents to kids.
"They're just looking for grownups to spend a little time with them, lead them by the hand and listen to them," said Dejana Drakulicova, communications director of the fund Time for Sharing. "They want attention from adults. They're like, 'look at me do this and that."'
Time for Sharing is the charity fund of Platinum International, a timeshare company with about 500 members in the Czech Republic. Much of its charitable activity is aimed at the some 4,000 residents of children's shelters.
About 60 are orphaned. The rest are from families deemed by courts as unfit caretakers.

Christmas wishes
On Friday, Dec. 15, the fund will lead about two dozen 4-and 5-year-olds from Prague's Zbraslav shelter on a holiday excursion. The day begins with a play at the children's theater, Spejbl and Hurvinek; then it's on to lunch at McDonald's.
Before heading home, the kids will get tea and cookies at the Detsky dum shopping center downtown. Drakulicova hopes business people and shopkeepers in the area will join in for singing and maybe bring a few gifts.
There are other sights. In the Vinohradsky Pavillon mall in Prague 2, The tree of Fulfilled Wishes stands 27 feet (8 meters) tall. For the sixth year, it carries the Christmas wishes of children from 24 shelters.
"The children often wish for clothes, jewelry, stuffed animals and sports equipment," said Vera Belicova, assistant to the managing director of Vinohradsky Pavilon.
The shopping center, together with the Tereza Maxova Foundation, organizes the event. Maxova is a Czech supermodel.
On Dec.22, about 200 children representing the shelters will gather at Pavilon to receive their gifts. Popular singers, as well as magicians, will perform, and snacks will be served.
So far, shoppers and businesses have already fulfilled 700 of the 850 wishes. But with pre-Christmas days dwindling, organizers are digging for more wishes at other shelters. They want to give gifts to at least 1,000 children. Should wishes outnumber presents, organizers will make up the difference.

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