By the light of the mid-Autumn moon

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Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.

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But now it’s gettin’ late
And the moon is climbin’ high
I want to celebrate
See it shinin’ in your eye

– Neil Young, Harvest Moon

It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong and can there be a better way to celebrate it than this Friday’s big bash – The Moodie Report 10th Anniversary Charity Ball?

I’ve arrived early (through Hong Kong International Airport, pictured above) to prepare for the event and from my 17th storey window at the Hotel Icon I can see the full moon with glorious clarity in an uncluttered night sky.

The Mid-Autumn (or Mooncake) Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated throughout Greater China. It’s always held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, (September or early October), close to the autumnal equinox.

For The Moodie Report, it’s been a long time between celebrations here. By a neat symmetry, our last Charity Ball (also in Hong Kong) was held on the same date, 5 October, in 2007. On that occasion we raised around US$350,000 for cleft charity The Smile Train but this week we plan to go a whole lot higher on behalf of our two chosen causes – The Moodie Report Foundation (dedicated to cancer research) and Hand in Hand for Haiti.

In fact we are well on the way. DFS (without whom the whole event would have been impossible) has contributed tremendous people and planning resources to help us; The Hotel Icon has donated its facilities and (superb) food free of charge; and drinks companies Moët Hennessy (Gala Dinner), Pernod Ricard Asia Duty Free and Patrón have ensured that all the night’s drinks are provided. There have been countless other acts of generosity to ensure the night’s success.

Today I woke early, not to the moon but to the sight of sunrise over Hong Kong harbour. There can be few more glorious moments.

I will be a particularly happy man on Friday evening  for 5 October has another resonance for me.  It is on that day in 2010 that I had the operation at the Royal Marsden Hospital to remove my stomach and my cancer. The day, in short, that saved my life. A day that was the culmination of treatment made possible by the sort of funding we intend to raise on Friday night.

Back then, as readers of this Blog will know, I used to quote the words of the late, great Warren Zevon, from his beautiful song ‘Don’t let us get sick’. This week, for this cause, and during this Mid-Autumn festival, they have particular poignancy.

The moon has a face
And it smiles on the lake
And causes the ripples in Time
I’m lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine

We’re all lucky to be here but right now perhaps I feel it more than most. And I can’t wait to be among so many industry friends on Friday night, who truly maketh my spirit to shine.