PSC hands over bikes to scholarship students from Mercy Ministries

Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya presents scholarships to needy schoolchildren

The Charity Club of Pattaya is born

Jesters ‘Caring For Kids’ – More Than Ever Before

Interact Club of Banglamung School installs new president and board of directors

PSC hands over bikes to scholarship students from Mercy Ministries

New bikes put kids on road to education

Suchada Tupchai

The ever present need for education for the underprivileged has been at the forefront for many charity activities in Pattaya. Bernie Tuppin, Pattaya Sports Club (PSC) charity chairman recognizes the importance of education and on behalf of the PSC handed over 10 bicycles (worth 10,000 baht) to scholarship students from the Mercy Ministries in a small ceremony at their Soi 17 premises last week.

Bernie Tuppin, PSC charity chairman enjoys donating to the children.

The students from Pattaya School No. 7 have been supported by the Mercy Ministries, under the Victory Family Church, as part of their ongoing commitment to the welfare of the area’s children. In turn the church has received support from the PSC and the Pattaya International Ladies Club.

The Mercy Ministries Center for Prayer, where the handover was held, currently houses 11 children aged from 4 months to 4 years. These children have either been abandoned or their parents and relatives are unable to care for them. The prayer center also provides scholarships and food for children and their families in the city’s slums.

Recipients of the bicycles still live with their families but parents are unable to provide the required funds to assist with education, and many pupils walk long distances to attend school. The bicycles will now enable the children to travel to and from school with ease and will leave them more time for their studies.

Amapar Boomthem, housemother at the Mercy Ministries Center for Prayer, explained that the center has been in operation for two years and has sought out needy children in order to provide assistance. “We also teach them social manners and sports to enable them to better integrate into society, since their family circumstances do not allow them such education. We also distribute food and necessary items to these people. Today the children who have received scholarships and the bicycles have been checked out and they are attending school as they should,” Amapar said.

“Many of these children have family problems related to drugs where either one or both parents have been arrested or are from broken families. We survey the children and take their situation into account so they can receive the full benefits of an education. We do everything we can to make sure they receive the proper care and attention that children should have,” added Amapar.

Bernie, hardly ever at a loss for words, promised his continued support for the center and charitable causes in the region, noting that the next major donation will take place at the Banglamung hospital.

Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya presents scholarships to needy schoolchildren

Educated children become better citizens

Ariyawat Nuamchareon

Providing opportunities for kids to receive a proper education has been one of the many intentions the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, along with other club supporters, have been realizing for the past several years.

Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn flanked by Rotarians, city officials and happy students after the presentations.

After the club found out that there were kids who were going to study in the Mathayom level who still lacked financial support from their homes, a 1,320,000 baht scholarship project was initiated.

Each year, beginning in 2003, 440,000 baht has been handed over to 220 students. Each of them has received 2,000 baht per year. The club plans to give scholarships to the children for three consecutive years until they finish Mathayom 3.

(L-R) Pierre-Eves Eraud, PP Peter Malhotra, Mayor Niran and PP Dennis Stark present the children with their scholarships.

This year, the scholarship presentation took place at city hall in the presence of Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, city council members, members of Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya, teachers, and parents. This project became active through the help of Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, Rotary Foundation, Rotary Pitch Nakker-Nuthdorf district 3340, district 1600 from Holland, and Mr. and Mrs. De Vaan.

The mayor said this is a great achievement for the clubs, and gives the kids a chance to finish their Mathayom level without financially burdening their parents. He said city hall honors this act of humanity and he urged all people to do more for society. Mayor Niran also encouraged the kids who received the funds to study hard, obey their parents and teachers, and be good citizens.

The Charity Club of Pattaya is born

A new club has been formed in Pattaya: The Charity Club of Pattaya is a non profit club, which is being run solely to raise funds by holding various events throughout the year for a chosen charity.

The couple behind the new club aren’t new to Pattaya or to raising funds for charity, as some of you reading this will no doubt have heard at some point from either Christina or Malcolm Boden.

Christina used to be the U.K. Club’s charity officer while Malcolm took care of the club’s money as treasurer. Since leaving the club Christina found she had a lot of time on her hands and was lacking the everyday challenges that go with being a charity officer.

After throwing a few ideas around with Malcolm and discussing the possibility of both of them forming a charity club, they approached a few friends and asked if they would support them if they started up the club. The response was a resounding ‘Yes’ and on July 1, 2004 the Charity Club of Pattaya was born.

Each year the club will decide who will benefit from the money they raise. No cash will be given as the club will always ask for a ‘wish list’ from the chosen charity and then Christina & Malcolm will shop till they drop!

The chosen charities for this year are the Camillian Centre Rayong, a home for children and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS, and the Street Kids of Pattaya. If you know of any charities that you think may benefit from a helping hand let Christina or Malcolm know.

They have already started organising the first venue which will be on Saturday November 13 at Casa Pascal on 2nd Road Pattaya.

Tickets are 1,500 baht which entitle you to a magnificent Thai and international buffet put together by Kim and Pascal, the owners of Casa Pascal, and live music, raffle prizes and a selected free bar (wine, beer, whiskey & soft drinks). Dinner tickets are available now.

They only have places for 60 people so don’t leave it too long or you may miss out.

Christina would like to thank the people who have supported her in the past and now hopefully for her future fund raising. So many people to thank, but very special thanks goes to Deva, Edelweiss, Yorkies, the Rabbit Resort, the Amari Watergate and Orchid, the Pimalai Resort, the Horseshoe Point and Massic Travel, plus many, many more. Thank you.

Contact Christina on 095454185 or Malcolm on 097441040, email christinaboden @loxinfo.co.th or tccop1@ hotmail.com

Jesters ‘Caring For Kids’ – More Than Ever Before

Mike Franklin

The organization of the 7th annual Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive is well ahead for our two fund-raising events in September, and we cordially invite you to come along to the Children’s Fair at the Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range on Sunday the 12th and the Pub Night at Shenanigans on Saturday the 18th.

Last year’s Children’s Fair at the Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range was a great event, and by all indications will be again this year.

Last year was exceptional for our Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ campaign when over 4 million baht was raised and, since its inception in 1998, our charity drives have raised and distributed over 14 million baht to needy children’s causes on the Eastern Seaboard.

FOL kids say thanks after last year’s monumental event.

Our latest letter seeking corporate sponsorship has brought the total of Platinum Sponsors (donors of 100,000 baht) to 15: Baltex Industries, The Classroom, Foster Wheeler, Kvaerner E & C, Laem Chabang International Terminal (LCIT), MBMG International, Nevada, Nirvana Resorts, Pattaya Mail, Pattaya Sports Club, Rieckermann, SCC-Dow Group, Shenanigans, SJ Lake Consulting Services, and the Wood Group.

The design for this year’s ‘Care for Kids’ event T-shirt features a colorful design of silhouetted children on the front and the names and logos of the 15 Platinum Sponsors on the back. The shirts at 300 baht each, or two for 500 baht, are now available for purchase in many sizes at various outlets in Pattaya, including Shenanigan’s, Pattaya Mail, Viking Beachcomber and TQ.

This year several new beneficiaries have been added to our ever growing list, including Happiness Camp (organizes encounter group sessions for students and teachers of local government schools), VFC Mercy Ministries (a shelter for very young street children), the Remand Center in Rayong (a juvenile lockdown, where we provide meaningful projects), as well as our ‘Next Step’ program (providing scholarships for teens and young adults at higher education levels).

We continue our unwavering support for the Fountain of Life Center, which provides an invaluable service to the poor kids of the community, by obtaining birth certificates for those born outside hospitals; elementary education, medical and dental care and scholarships for entering government schools.

We also maintain our assistance for the Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind and the Eastern Child Welfare Protection Institute in Huay Pong, where we have recently completed our third project in as many years.

Valuable assistance with the provision of services and facilities is again being provided by our ‘Charity Drive Partners’. Namely: Baltex Industries and Christoph Balzli donating the first 450 ‘Care for Kids’ 2004 event T-shirts. Pattaya Mail, thanks to Peter Malhotra, provides effective weekly press coverage in Pattaya Mail & Pattaya Blatt with linked televised reports and interviews broadcast on Pattaya Mail Plus through Sophon Cable TV.

The Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range again provides the ideal setting for the Jesters Children’s Fair & Family Day on Sunday September 12th, thanks to the continuing support and co-operation from Sopin Thappajug and Diana Group management. Finally Shenanigans, thanks to its energetic landlord, Kim Fletcher, will again host the Jesters Pub Night, on Saturday September 18, to bring the 2004 Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive to a climatic and successful conclusion.

This year, the Jesters Children’s Fair will include over 60 food and merchandise stalls, a children’s arcade, games, family entertainment and live bands. Six days later on September 18 our Jesters Pub Night, will provide an evening of entertainment, auctions (including a Mohammed Ali glove, and shirts signed by Beckham and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team), grand raffle drawings (including 5 airline prizes) and live music.

To learn more about us, including details about our beneficiaries, projects and how you can help, please visit our website: www.care4kids.info. You may also make donations now on-line.

If you would like to help us help the needy children in our community, please just contact us by e-mail at JCD2004@ care4kids.info

Interact Club of Banglamung School installs new president and board of directors