You are invited to the Jesters Children’s Fair Family Day

Jackalope sighting this Friday

Thai Navy hosts annual family games

You are invited to the Jesters Children’s Fair Family Day

Mike Franklin

This year we are staging the biggest Jesters Children’s Fair ever, and making a welcome return to the Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range, North Pattaya, thanks to the kind support of Khun Sopin and the Diana Group Management.

Sunday September 14th is the date and the day kicks off early with the Charity Bike Ride at 8.00 a.m. The Bike Ride is organized by Kim Fletcher and sponsored by B.T. Insurance, and you can register your entry, for either the 30 or 50-kilometer ride, on Saturday September 13th at Shenanigans between 4.30 and 11 p.m., or at the Start on the morning of the Bike Ride between 6.30 and 8 a.m. Just a 300 baht donation to the Charity Drive to enter, and for that you receive a free cycling shirt kindly donated by Baltex Industries. Along the route some twenty-one marshals will be giving out water, compliments of B.T. Insurance. Route maps and sponsor forms are available at Shenanigans, so call in.

The whole idea of the sponsor forms is to get family, friends and work colleagues to sponsor your effort and participation in the 2003 Charity Bike Ride, so don’t be shy. If you are making the effort to do the ride, you deserve to be well supported. You will be well taken care of by the Tourist Police, Bangkok Pattaya Ambulance Unit that will shadow the course, and all the water-stop marshals along the way.

The Children’s Fair opens at 10 a.m. to the spectacle of marching bands from local schools, starting the day off in a festive mood. Some sixty-five stalls, each with an additional shaded area for fairgoers’ comfort, will offer a wide variety of goods, food from around the world, games, attractions, toys, handicrafts, and the popular second-hand bookstall will be there. So please, if you have any books you don’t need, just take them into Shenanigans.

The increase from forty stalls in 2002, to sixty-five this year is an indication of the growing popularity and success of the Jesters Children’s Fair and our opportunity to provide more for you to enjoy.

For example, the range of food includes Thai, Indian, Creole, Mexican, British, Danish, German, American and Italian, seafood, home bakery and lots of Nestl้’s ice cream. For the energetic or adventurous there is the Bouncy Castle, Pony Rides, Bottle Fishing, Model Painting, or play football with Peter Withe’s family. The Sauber F1 Racing Fan Club is there, Kitty from Bangkok with her huge range of cuddly toys, and stalls with weaving and handicrafts.

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital staff will be on station all day to deal with any emergency, and if you would like a blood pressure check you can get one free at the BPH stall, next door to the Children’s Raffle stall. The International Department staff will be there on the day helping sell the Children’s Raffle tickets: 20 baht each; 1 book (10 tickets) 200 baht; 3 books (30 Tickets) 500 baht, and 7 books (70 tickets) 1000 baht.

Star of the Children’s Raffle is traditionally a giant teddy bear, and this year Biffo, sponsored by Pattaya Trader, came out ‘top teddy’ at the auditions. Biffo is caretaker of the many prizes and he will be on stage, with me, for the draw at 3.30 p.m.

Just look at the wonderful list of prizes to be won, thanks to Pattaya Sports Club, the Jesters, Pattaya Trader and generous individuals. All sponsors will be individually credited as the prizes are drawn.

Biffo the Biker Bear
Sony Play Station II
Lego (2 boxes, each approx. 2000 pieces)
NEC MP3 Player
De-Luxe Edition Crossword Game
Scuba Bubble Maker
Triumph Crocodile 27-31" Bicycle
Atari 26" standing fan
Genius Kids Educational Computer
Remote Radio Controlled Vehicles:
Patrol Boat
Racing Sports Car
Missile Launcher
Space II Dome Tent
Megashark Surf Board
CD Stereo Boombox VCD/CD/Karaoke/MP3
Diamond Digital DVD Player
15" Samsung ‘Plano’ Flat Color TV
Casio Electronic Keyboard
Tomy ‘Thomas Tank Engine’ Train Set
Canon 65 Zoom Camera
Diamond Wireless Microphone & Receiver
Tool Set (150 pcs.)
Automatic Emergency Light Unit
Logitech ‘Quickcam’ Web Camera

There will be plenty of opportunity to buy Children’s Raffle tickets at the Raffle Stall, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital stall, or from school students’ teams and roaming Jesters who will be out and about.

Be sure to be there for the draw at 3.30 p.m. from the stage.

At 4 p.m., immediately after the Children’s Raffle, the Children’s Tug-o-War will take place (no adults this year), with two age groups competing 9-11 and 12-14 pulling in teams of ten.

During the day a Children’s Play Center will be open just by the Beer Garden for the little ones to visit, so that Mummy and Daddy can relax for a while in the comfortable ‘Cool Mist’ atmosphere and enjoy a cold one.

On the entertainment side there will be shows and activities throughout the day, including Marching Bands, Football Clinics, Martial Arts, the Blind School Band & Choir, Singing and Dancing Performances, Aerobics, Puppet Show, and the best of the live bands from Shenanigans.

The Children’s Fair Souvenir Program (your Adult 50 baht entry to the Fair) will be available at the Fair entrance on the day. A truly bumper issue this year with all you need to know, including the Fair layout and full stall listing so you easily plan where to go for things of particular interest.

The 2003 event ‘Care for Kids’ shirts are available now in all sizes, from the teeniest to the titanesque, at just 300 baht each or, two for 500 baht. Kit the family out and come as a ‘Care for Kids’ Team. The Fair photographer, Howard Greene, and the Pattaya Mail Plus TV crew will be looking out for you. Shenanigans, Viking Beachcomber and TQ have the stock now and will be pleased to serve you. The shirts will also be available at the Fair together with a wide range of Jester wear to choose from.

Diana Garden Resort is offering a special ‘Charity Package’ for a one or two night stay at the Resort, ideal for anyone coming down from Bangkok or from far out on the Eastern Seaboard. Full details in this issue of Pattaya Mail.

Finally, remember this is a ‘Family Day’ for the children and all proceeds will go to the ‘Care for Kids’ charity projects. It is the day in the year for family fun, and a day with your children when you can be ‘Caring for Kids’ less fortunate at the same time.

For more information, please go to our web page, www.care4kids.info for everything about the 2003 Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive.

Hope to see you at the Children’s Fair on Sunday September 14th.

Jackalope sighting this Friday

Harry Riley

The season of the Jackalope is upon us once again. Pattaya’s premiere Canadian organized charity golf tournament is being staged at Khao Kheow Country Club on Friday, September 5. This is the 5th event and for all you generous sponsors and participants we would like to show you what you helped to achieve.

Harry and the girls with some of the items purchased.

Firstly there is the Karunwyet Centre for disabled ladies - this facility houses approx. 220 residents who are greatly disabled both mentally and physically. During the time that the Jackalope has supported this facility they have provided personal Walkman Radio Cassette players to the residents, complete with a stockpile of batteries, and installed a PA and entertainment system in every one of the 6 dormitories (there are some residents that are confined in the dormitory 24 hours a day). Also, in the sports department the Jackalope has provided a sports field and concrete playing area. The pictures show some of the residents enjoying last Songkran Festival wearing shirts which the Jackalope provided for every resident.

The pictures show some of the residents enjoying last Songkran Festival wearing shirts which the Jackalope provided for every resident.

When you go past the centre on Sukhumvit Road, you will be able to see where it is situated with the road sign provided by the Jackalope with the hope that other potential charitable societies will drop by and maybe help out this deserving facility.

Other centres that have benefited from the Jackalope are the Street Kids where we purchased pillows, sheets, blankets, footwear and underwear for the boys and girls who reside there. What a day that was when we had the dubious pleasure of escorting 4 young ladies from the street centre on a shopping expedition and as you guys are aware going shopping with one lady can be a trial of patience and endurance. After residing here for over 10 years I was aware of the Thai time rules and after arranging to meet at the new Big C complex at 1 p.m. I turned up at 1:15 p.m. thinking I would be the boss on this outing, but the girls obviously had their own ideas and I only had to wait 20 minutes :). The pics show me and the girls with some of the items purchased, it was a good thing I turned up in a pickup truck that day, as the girls managed to fill it up and we nearly had to send out for extra transport.

Wayne, Hoser, Father Giovanni and some of the children.

The other facility that has recently benefited from the Jackalope is the Camillian AIDS Centre at Maptaphut where Father Giovanni asked me if I knew of any charitable sponsors who would supply a cooker for the children’s annex. After running this idea by the Jackalope committee for approx half a nano second it was wholeheartedly agreed to run with it and Wayne set forth to find the item. When we delivered the cooker to the centre, we had a chat with Father Giovanni regarding the older children’s education needs. The Jackalope decided to buy a computer system to help them with their after school studies.

This turned out to be a very good project because after a visiting sponsor saw this he thought it was such a great idea he proceeded to sponsor a full room of computers for the children.

The Jackalope also provided the children’s classroom at the centre with new school desks and chairs for the students.

On behalf of the Jackalope committee I would like to thank all you generous people out there for all you kind sponsorships and donations towards the annual Jackalope charity golf tournament, which go towards making life a bit more comfortable for a lot of people who are not as lucky as us.

Thai Navy hosts annual family games

Patcharapol Parnrak

The “family that plays together, stays together” is a theme adapted by the Thai naval units based in Sattahip, and last week naval officers and high-ranking officials were present to declare the 4th annual Family Games officially open.

Captain Prasert Chuenjit (front), competitors and families stand at attention as the opening ceremonies officially get underway.

The event took place in Sattahip by the Naval operations center. Military families took part in 5 main sporting categories including 7-a-side football (soccer), lawn bowling, mountain bike races, and other ball games. Teams were formed based on the various departments, each competing against the other in the friendly event.

Rear Admiral Vichai Succo “inspects the troops” before the games begin.

The family games are organized to promote unity and strength among families and military personnel, giving them time out from the seriousness of their daily routine.

Young athletes prepare for the games as top navy brass provides them with encouragement.