Newly elected KIDS ambassador, Angel Johnson (left), and Frank Rosheuvel (centre), general manager at the Hilton Kingston hotel in New Kingston, present the winner of the KIDS art exhibition competition, Britania Gordon from Ruby Madden KIDS Basic School, with her first-place prize of a weekend trip for two at the Hilton in Walt Disney World Resort, United States, along with two airline tickets courtesy of Air Jamaica during the KIDS Christmas 2007 treat at the hotel on Tuesday. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

The Christmas season is loved by children who always look forward to the presents they will receive.

With this in mind, more than 50 children were made very happy on Tuesday as the Hilton Kingston hotel, through its Kindness In Donation and Services (KIDS) project, handed out gifts to help light up their holiday.

The Christmas treat, at which the children were fêted, also served to highlight KIDS' charity work throughout the year.

KIDS, which is in its seventh year, is an islandwide charity that focuses on the early education sector by building, improving and providing equipment for schools.

The project this year raised over $12 million, through a telethon and a golf charity event, to help build a wall around the St. Paul's Basic School in Olympic Gardens, Kingston, and to restore the Ruby Madden KIDS Basic School in Spring Village, Bushy Park, St. Catherine.

Frank Rosheuvel, general manager of the Hilton Kingston hotel, described this year's work as outstanding and said that next year should be bigger.

From all across the island

The youngsters, drawn from across the island, were treated to food, sweets, pastry and cotton candy. However the sweetest part of the evening for them was obviously when someone dressed in red and white, with a fake white beard, "Hoed Hoed" his way down the corridor of the ballroom of the hotel.

Before that, however, KIDS presented awards to 12 children who had entered the KIDS 2008 calendar competition, which is geared towards raising money for its charities.

When the places were announced, five-year-old Britania Gordon had the brightest smile as she was awarded first place for her drawing which is featured in February. Little Britania, who attends Ruby Madden KIDS Basic School, will be jetting off for one week to the Hilton in the Walt Disney World resort in the United States.

Angel Johnson, a seven-year-old from May Pen Primary, who was a past recipient of KIDS work, was also appointed a KIDS ambassador and given $70,000 towards his university education. An elated Angel said he was thankful for the prize. The confident, polite young man said his Christmas wish was for all of Jamaica to live in peace and for the crime and violence to cease.