HONG KONG. Diageo has become the latest industry player to book a table for “˜Turning Tears into Smiles’, the travel retail charity dinner being held on 5 October to raise funds for The Smile Train.
The Smile Train, the world’s leading cleft programme, specialises in high-quality, accredited surgeries in developing countries, with a particular focus on children. On 12 January 2007 it funded its 200,000th free cleft surgery worldwide.
Last year it offered free cleft surgery to 42,000 children in over 60 countries. It costs just US$250 and takes only 45 minutes to change a child’s life – and that of their families – beyond comprehension.
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Co-organised by The Moodie Report and Hugo Boss, the Hong Kong dinner – to be held at the Regal Airport Hotel – is attracting an amazing surge of industry support.
Over 230 dinner guests are already booked with a full two months still left to the big night. All of Hong Kong’s major airport retailers – DFS Group, Sky Connection (Free Duty), King Power Group, and Nuance-Watson (HK) – are supporting the event in a major way and will be present in strength on the evening.
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Destination Hong Kong: Industry support is swelling by the day for the Turning Tears into Smiles fund-raiser to be held at the Regal Airport Hotel, Hong Kong, on 5 October |
Companies and organisations to reserve places include APTRA, Bacardi, DFS Group, Emirates, Hugo Boss, ISG Hong Kong, JAKK; Jonathan Holland & Associates, King Power Group Hong Kong, Korean Air, Masterfoods, Maxxium, MCM, Nuance-Watson (HK), Revlon, Scental – Travel Retail Asia Pacific, Sky Connection, The Moodie Report, The Patrón Spirits Company, Travel Retail Training, and Travel Retail Sales (David Spillane). Several others are due to confirm their attendance shortly.
Separately, cash donations of over US$65,000 have come in or been pledged, with many more in the pipeline. On the day of the dinner King Power Group (Hong Kong) is hosting a nine-hole golf tournament with all proceeds going to The Smile Train. King Power subsidiary Airport Management Services has been awarded the contract to run the SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course at Hong Kong International Airport.
Special guests at the dinner include Wang Li, the first Chinese “˜passenger’ aboard the Smile Train. On 26 January 1989, at the age of nine she had cleft surgery courtesy of The Smile Train. She turned 18 last month.
The Smile Train presence at the dinner will be led by Shell Xue, its Chief Project Officer, China. Dr Xue joined The Smile Train as Chief Project Officer for the China operations last September after more than 15 years working in various team leader positions in multi-national healthcare corporations.
A famous attendee is Ugandan philanthropist Michael Ezra Mulyoowa – Uganda’s “˜Man of the Year’ in 2006 – who also made industry waves last year with the biggest single purchase in the 60-year history of the duty free business. He offered an amazing US$250,000 for a one-of-a-kind Montblanc watch, auctioned for charity onboard Dubai-based airline Emirates in association with the German luxury house.
The Moodie Report Publisher Martin Moodie said: “We are frankly overwhelmed by the support and messages of goodwill we are getting from the industry on a daily basis. Turning Tears into Smiles has taken on an unstoppable momentum and once again travel retail is showing what an incredible collective generosity it has as a business.”
HELPING THE SMILE TRAIN
Maybe you ain’t walked on any highway
You’ve just been flyin’ in the air
But if you’re on that last train to glory
You’ll know you’ve paid your fare
– Last Train to Glory, Arlo Guthrie (1973)
How can you help? By booking seats or full tables at the 5 October charity dinner (HK$2,000 a seat or HK$20,000 a table) or by pledging donations via e-mail to Martin Moodie at Martin@TheMoodieReport.com or Nadine Heubel at Nadine_Heubel@hugoboss.com. Pledges can be made at all levels to suit company and individual budgets.
Critically the organisers desperately need a limited number of high value items to assist fund-raising in the live and silent auctions that will take place on the evening. For more information on The Smile Train please visit www.smiletrain.org
MORE STORIES ON THE SMILE TRAIN
Hope restored in Hyderabad – Why The Smile Train needs travel retail’s help – 22/07/07
DFS, King Power, Bacardi climb aboard The Smile Train; first Chinese patient to attend – 06/07/07
Jonathan Holland, Revlon’s Art Miller and Alpha’s Rod Wiltshire ride The Smile Train – 28/06/07
The Smile Train charity dinner picks up pace as ISG Hong Kong leaps onboard – 21/06/07
