‘Jesters & Friends’ working together to help the kids

Pattaya’s Filipino community helps street kids

Rayong English Programme School wins golf medal at LT Junior Games

Jesters Care 4 Kids, Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya and the PC Classic support ‘Happiness Camps’ for Pattaya school children

‘Jesters & Friends’ working together to help the kids

With the steady growth of the Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive, since its inception in 1998 and a total of 14 million baht raised for local charities to date, additional resources and skills have been required to supplement those available within the Jesters organization.

There are many retired and working ex-pats who give their time freely and work voluntarily to help charities that benefit underprivileged children.

Jester’s members and ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive committee.

So, the Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive Committee comprises a blend of Jesters working with co-opted ‘Friends’ so that the expertise, experience and available time is in place to ensure success and continued growth. The 4 million baht raised in 2003 was a record and, with costs and pressure on company and personal budgets significantly increasing, the task of raising funds for charity is greater than ever before.

So, who are the Jesters and who are their ‘Friends’?

Firstly, Jester Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood, president of Jesters MC, and chairman of the JCD committee. He coordinates all activities and liaison throughout the whole process of the Jesters Charity Drive.

Jester Neil Sandilands acts as secretary, minutes all meetings with consummate wit and skill, and acquires many donated cases of beer for the beer tent at the Children’s Fair.

Jester Bill ‘Wild Bill’ Freeman is treasurer, ensuring tight financial control and accurate accounting. The Children’s Fair site co-coordinator is Jester Kevin Mitch, ace organizer of the fair in all its aspects and making sure that the increase in size, year on year, is effectively accommodated. Jester Jeff Paladeau is ‘without portfolio’, but takes on ad hoc assignments as they arise.

Then there are the numerous Jesters that turn up in convoy on their immaculate Harley Davidsons to support official openings of completed JCD projects, and on other special occasions.

Our ‘Friends’ give the committee strength in skills and numbers. Graham Macdonald leads the campaign to secure corporate sponsorship, this year with 13 Platinum sponsors already, including his own company MBMG International. Mike Franklin takes care of media coverage and promotional activity and provides liaison with Diana Group management.

Kim Fletcher is the congenial host for the Jesters Pub Night at Shenanigans, also a Platinum sponsor. Diane Connelly coordinates the Pub Night and collects grand raffle prizes, assisted by Catherine Smithfield. Diane, affectionately known as the ‘Tooth Fairy’ also works in close contact with the Sisters at the Fountain of Life to organize, through Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, medical and dental care for children at the Center.

Karyn Walker ensures effective communication and liaison with local schools assisted by Linden Phanpho. Some JCD charity projects are undertaken jointly in association with other organizations such as Rayong Ladies Club. Helle Rantzen from Rayong Ladies represents RLC and stands in as secretary to the committee when Jester Neil is away doing his proper job.

Communicating with the Thai media and having accurate translations of ‘Care for Kids’ publicity material is important, so we are fortunate to have the services of Tony Malhotra and Brendan Richards from Pattaya Mail (also Platinum). David Smith is our Webmaster. This role is critical to ensure we have an up-to-date interactive web page and ‘Care for Kids’ CDs available for promotional purposes. David also is working on our e-merchant facility for our site and meticulously keeps track of the accounting of our ‘Pledge for Kids’ program.

Right to Play volunteers organize and run the Children’s Fair games. Emcees at the Fair and Pub Night are a permutation of Neil Smith and Andy Francis, and the celebrity auction on Pub Night is voiced by professional Canadian auctioneer Eddy Henheffer.

Finally, at these two events it is vital to have an excellent sound system and that has been generously sponsored by Rick Bryant.

The input does not stop there, but that summarizes the Jesters and ‘Friends’ team that makes the ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive happen.

Pattaya’s Filipino community helps street kids

Suchada Tupchai

The Association of Filipinos in Thailand - Eastern Region Chapter (AFT-ERC), led by president Virginia Sorensen, hosted lunch and donated consumables for the children at the Redemptorist Drop-In Center on Central Pattaya Road last Wednesday afternoon.

Oh-oh, the AFT-ERC treated kids at the Redemptorist Drop-In Center to a hearty lunch.

Over 20 children who reside at the center part-time and attend local school were treated to a hearty lunch by members of the AFT-ERC. The association also handed over 50 kilograms of rice, milk and two large bed sets for the center.

“We are more than happy to help these children who have been discarded by their families or unable to be cared for by their parents. It is a social responsibility and they need the same opportunity as everyone else,” said Virginia. The AFT-ERC carries out numerous activities in and around Pattaya benefiting the underprivileged.

The Redemptorist Drop-In Center is just one of the many projects undertaken by the Redemptorist Center in Pattaya and survives entirely on the generosity of the community. The center was re-opened in February this year as a means to offer part-time accommodation for children and women giving them a place to sleep, bathe and receive food and basic educational needs.

Rayong English Programme School wins golf medal at LT Junior Games

Prakong Jitrattana, principal of Rayong English Programme School (REPS) and his team participated in the “LT Junior Games II” held at Laemtong Department Store in Rayong June 12-13.

Nattanan Srita, one of the K.3 students, won the gold medal for the long jump.

The event was successful thanks to the co-operation received from parents and teachers. The children were also applauded for their good behavior and team spirit.

Nattanan Srita, a K.3 student, won the gold medal for the long jump.

Rayong English Programme School participated in the “LT Junior Games II”.

Jesters Care 4 Kids, Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya and the PC Classic support ‘Happiness Camps’ for Pattaya school children

Healthy minds and bodies make happier kids

Suchada Tupchai

Kasemsook Bharmornsatit (Pa Sai), the president of Mathura Human Society, led a cheerful Happiness Camp at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens for year 9 students and teachers from Pattaya School No. 3 on June 10-11 and students from Pattaya School No. 2 on June 24-25.

Children are taught the genteel posture in prayer and the graceful manner of showing reverence to elders.

Acting as councilors and lecturers were Alvi Sinthuvanik, past president of Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya and Wannapa Wannasri, head of Pattaya city’s educational department, as well as other teachers who had completed previous camps.

Aunty Ju (Wannapa) speaks to the children about kindness and love for others.

The camps, which aim at training Pattaya’s students and teachers to create a happy atmosphere inside, as well as outside, the classroom, was made possible by the kind sponsorships of the Jesters Care 4 Kids Charity Drive, the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, PC Classic and Pattaya City.

The elders demonstrate table manners to the children.

The Organizing Committee of the 10th Pattaya Mail PC Classic Royal Cliff Beach Resort International Regatta, prior to the event itself, had decided to donate all proceeds arising from sponsorship and ticket sales to charity projects under the care of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya.

Rotarians attended the morning sessions and were moved by the dedication of the teachers to improve the quality of life of the children. (l-r) Peter Cummins (PC Classic), Rtn. Max Rommel, President Peter Malhotra and Rtn. Graham Hunt-Crowley.

The camp itself is a manifestation of the “Kasemsook Movement” which combines movement and meditation and further aims at ‘rewiring’ thought processes to enable participants to become better and happier people that create positive influences in their lives and for those around them. The “Kasemsook Movement” for better Health and Mind is named after the creator Kasemsook Bharmornsatit (better known as Pa Sai) and is set to music. It combines classical Thai dancing, Tai-Chi and Pa Sai’s own imagination. The exercise incorporates 10 continuous body movements and simple meditation for about 12 minutes.

President Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood and members of the Jesters Motorcycle Club are staunch supporters of everything that involves helping children.

Pa Sai is the educational consultant for Pattaya’s schools and her movement has now been adopted as an integral part of the “Happiness Camp”.

The camp, led by Pa Sai, also trains teachers in helping children build goodwill and peace of mind, both important prerequisites for successful study, also leading the children to achieve self-discipline.

Pa Sai (Kasemsook) teaches the kids about cleanliness and hygiene.

Alvi and Wannapa are also strong supporters of these camps with this last featuring assessment of the quality and ability of teachers, the power of positive thinking and the “Kasemsook Movement”, to relax body and mind.

The Jesters, the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya and the PC Classic Annual Regatta will continue to support not only the promotion of the “Kasemsook Movement” but also - and, especially - ongoing camps such as the one just ended.