Happenings & Events: September!

11TH HLG KART RACE

Ready, set, go! The annual HLG Kart Race is scheduled for November 21, and youngsters, aged seven to 12, can enrol from September 1 by scanning the QR code or visiting hlgkartrace.com

19TH TENNIS CHARITY CUP

September 19 marks the 19th Tennis Charity Cup at DBRC with the on-court action always a real draw for residents. Eight players – four men and four women – make up each team with a maximum of three members’ guests per team. This year’s proceeds go to Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association and Watchdog. To find out more, call Ajit Gidwani on 9779 0747.

BLOOD DONATION IN DB PLAZA

Looking to donate blood to save lives? The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service’s blood donation vehicle is in DB Plaza from September 25 to 27, 10.30am to 4.30pm. Given the ageing population and the increasing demand for blood transfusion, BTS is proactively recruiting new donors across Hong Kong. To donate in DB, visit FB @db.community.hk.

Launched in 2015 by Harvey Law Group’s Founder and Managing Partner, DB resident Jean-François Harvey, the HLG Kart Race is celebrating its 11th anniversary this year, with roughly 100 competitors expected to take part. The action unfolds on Discovery Bay Road cycle lane where a 2.4-metre-high ramp, almost 5 metres long and 2.5 metres wide, is set up. The track covers approximately 150 metres. Success in the race comes down to maintaining speed and avoiding unnecessary turns. Racers are advised to steer their kart to the finish in a straight line and keep their foot off the brake as much as they dare!

In order to level the playing field, the race is divided into age-group categories, so kids race against their peers. While racers can choose to construct their own karts, and compete in the freestyle category, with or without a parent riding pillion, most are provided by HLG. Mechanics are on hand on race day to check, service and fix the karts, as they are used many times during the race.

Staying calm and steady is very important. It’s quite something to go down that 2.4-metre ramp. Some courage is necessary, especially in the first heat, and selfconfidence is key. Bonne chance everyone!

ORGANIC FARMING WORKSHOP

Learn how to grow fresh, healthy produce using organic farming methods at an Organic Farming Workshop on September 5, from 10am to 12pm, at Community Green Square. Instructors from O·PARK1 are delivering a hands-on introduction, covering everything from preparing soil and planting to natural ways of caring for your crops. A must for budding gardeners and green-fingered families! To find out more and enrol, call 5469 1748.

HALLOWEEN PARADE & COSTUME CONTEST

There’s a special happening for Halloween lovers on October 31 with a Cosplay Parade at D’Deck, from 3pm to 3.30pm, followed by a costume contest at DB Plaza, from 3.30pm to 5pm. You can enrol from mid-September to compete in either the DB Residents Group or Public Group, and the finalists will be invited to take part in the parade and get on stage. The best-dressed participant of each group has the chance to win a round-trip air ticket to Taipei and other prizes (total value HK$4,500+). Stay tuned for enrolment details on FB and IG @visitdiscoverybay.

INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH

The team at HK Yoga invites everyone who wants to improve the flexibility of their entire body to join the regular group classes at the studio in DB North Plaza. The specially designed, deep-stretching yoga classes help relieve urban anxiety, regulate internal biological processes, strengthen the immune system, improve sleep and even prolong youth. Newcomers can take advantage of a special one-time offer: one week of unlimited classes for HK$500. Scan the QR code to enrol, or visit hkyoga.ru/db.

Dates For Your Diary

Dates For Your Diary

SEP 12 & 13 | SHOP THE DB WEEKEND MARKET in DB South Plaza from 2pm to 9pm. Visit handmadehongkong.com.

SEP 19 | JOIN A BEACH CLEAN-UP! Meet at the gate to Nim Shue Wan at 2pm. Email dana@plasticfreeseas.org.

TUESDAYS | RECYCLE EVERYTHING at the Green@Community collection point from 10am to 1pm and 2.30pm to 5.30pm.

ALL MONTH | DONATE PRELOVED FURNITURE to people in need through DB Mothers & Friends. To arrange for pick-up, visit FB @dbmf.collection.

CAPITAL ACHIEVEMENTS

DB speech (and piano) prodigy Jaylen Zheng took home two top awards at the 11th Zhongchuan HuaShao National Final Showcase, held in Beijing this summer. In the Verbal Art Competition, Jaylen won the Peak Glory Award – the highest tier of recognition for performance, delivery and language arts mastery; and in the Impromptu Speaking Competition, he won the Transcendence Award demonstrating exceptional quick thinking, structural adaptability and composure under pressure. Congratulations Jaylen!

FREE RUNNING GROUP

Fondly known as the Running Cult, DB’s all-women running group hits the trails four to five times a week. Regardless of individual distances, paces, or health goals, the ladies set out to support and inspire each other, and new members are welcome! To get involved, call Anita Schneider-de Vries on 5629 8123.

O·PARK1 TOUR AND WORKSHOP

Want to know where your food waste goes? Sign up for a guided tour of O·PARK1, the Organic Resources Recovery Centre at Siu Ho Wan on September 5, from 1.45pm to 3.45pm. The tour is free, complete with a round-trip coach service to and from North Lantau, and you get to attend a beeswax-wrap workshop to learn how to turn cotton cloth into reusable, eco-friendly kitchen wrap. To find out more and enrol, call 5469 1748.

HARVEST MOON PHOTO CHALLENGE

Also known as the Chinese Moon Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 25 this year – the 15th day of the eighth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. We’re inviting you to take a photo of the full harvest moon and email it to admin@arounddb.com. Include your Instagram or Facebook handle, and we’ll tag you when we announce the winner on our socials in early October.

We light lanterns and join lantern parades at Mid-Autumn Festival to honour the moon. According to legend, Chang’e, the moon goddess, blesses her worshippers with beauty, while the glow of the lanterns helps her see us from the heavens. So, it’s time to get snapping!

It has become traditional for DB residents to gather on Tai Pak Wan and celebrate the festival as a community but there are lantern parades all over Hong Kong – the biggest is in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay.

While many cultures mark some sort of harvest festival, China has been celebrating this ancient seasonal rite for nearly three millennia, originally paying homage to a dragon that brought rain for the farmers’ crops. Fire dragon dances remain an important part of the festival in Hong Kong, notably at Tai Hang, Causeway Bay – expect a three-day celebration with hundreds of performers, thousands of incense sticks and a 67-metre-long dragon. See you there!