Garden Sandwich Event Draws 700 Students, Sparks Crowd Safety Concerns
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Local bakery brand Garden faced sharp criticism after a chaotic end to its 100th anniversary event on Sunday, which saw over 700 primary school students participate in a world record attempt for the largest sandwich-making class. Parents rushed to retrieve their children with no organized pickup system, causing door handles to be torn off and raising fears of a crowd crush. Garden confirmed nobody was injured and pledged to review crowd management protocols for future large-scale activities.
Key Points
- Garden held the event at S.K.H. Tang Shiu Kun Secondary School in Wan Chai on October 11, inviting over 700 students from 100 primary schools
- Children aged 6 to 12 were tasked with making sandwiches within 30 minutes while wearing the brand's signature blue-and-white gingham aprons
- Singer Cloud Wan performed as a special guest to encourage participants during the record attempt
- The event ran over by approximately one hour, with no clear communication to parents about pickup procedures
- Parents broke the school hall door handle while rushing in to collect children, creating a near-crowd crush situation
Why It Matters
The incident highlights the critical importance of crowd management for large-scale community events involving children, especially as Hong Kong continues to host major promotional activities. Garden's acknowledgment of the failures and commitment to review protocols will be closely watched by parents and event organizers across the city, setting a precedent for how major brands should manage safety at family-oriented activities.
The incident highlights the critical importance of crowd management for large-scale community events involving children, especially as Hong Kong continues to host major promotional activities. Garden's acknowledgment of the failures and commitment to review protocols will be closely watched by parents and event organizers across the city, setting a precedent for how major brands should manage safety at family-oriented activities.