Derek Franklin
Every year on August the twelve, Mother’s Day here in
Thailand, I send a large bouquet of flowers to my mother who lives in Wales.
My mum is now seventy years of age and although we speak regularly on the
phone it is on this special day that I realize just how lucky I have been to
have her as my mother.
A little boy from the
Children’s Village seems happy in the arms of his mother.
But there are many children here in Pattaya who are not
so lucky and who do not find Mother’s Day a time for celebration. For some
children their mother has passed away, others have been abandoned and many
have been left in the care of one of the many charitable organizations here
in Pattaya as their mother is unable to care for their child.
At the Father Ray Children’s Village many of the young
children do not remember their natural mother; they only know the lady who
currently looks after them, who cooks for them, loves them, scolds them,
supports them and who they call mother.
For many of the older children resident at the Father Ray
Children’s Home Mother’s Day can be a very emotional time. No matter what
their mother has done, or not done for them, she is still their mother.
During the preparations for the Mothers Day ceremony at
the Home the children write two Mother’s Day cards; one for their own mother
and another for the female worker who takes care of them.
A teacher comforts one of the
young girls at the Children’s Home.
The female workers, teachers, social workers, cooks and
housekeepers are all asked to sit on the stage in front of the children.
Then the children, each one carrying a single red rose or a jasmine garland
present their chosen ‘mother’ with their flowers and cards.
When they children present their flowers they thank the
female workers for what they have done for the children. They also apologise
if they have done wrong and promise to be better behaved, and there are many
tears that flow. At the same time the ‘mothers’ give advice to the children,
congratulate them on their good behaviour and give them all a hug.
The children know that these carers, teachers, cooks and
nurses are not their real mother, but they call them mother and they have as
much respect for them as they would their own mother.
When the children have done well at school they will rush
home to show their gold stars or their grades to their carer at the Home.
When they have misbehaved they will take the punishment their carer has
given them, and even if it means not being allowed to go on a day trip with
the other children, or sweeping the leaves for a month or cleaning the pig
sty for a week they will still show her the love and respect she deserves.
More information can be found at www.fr-ray.org or email
[email protected]
Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive 2012
Sponsored by Glencore International and Canadian Jackalope Open
Recent graduate Rienchai shows
off his accomplishments to Tony and Woody.
Lewis Underwood
On Thursday, August 16 at the Diana Garden Resort, Tony
Malhotra, from the Pattaya Mail, and I held our annual press
conference for the Thai media. The venue was the Diana Garden Resort in
North Pattaya, which is also the location for our Jesters’ Fair next month.
Besides the local press, also in attendance were Deputy
Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn, Sopin Thappajug, the gracious hostess of the
event and head of the Diana Group, Praichit Jetpai, president of YWCA
Bangkok-Pattaya, and members of the Fountain of Life Center, including 3
university graduates we sponsored through their education processes from the
early days at the center to the present.
Below is the information that was disseminated at the
conference:
Intro:
* The Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive began in 1998
after Alice Poulsen from PILC met up with our Jesters MC Thailand to tell us
about the needs of the Fountain of Life Center, a day care center for kids
from poor families in our community.
* The result was that we organized an event, a Pub Night
of auctions, grand raffle drawings and live entertainment, in early
September with one 100,000 baht donor (Chonburi Siam Steel Mill Services),
one beneficiary, the Fountain of Life Center for children, and 1 million
baht was raised.
* Fourteen years later, we have now raised 63.5 million
baht for more than 45 different projects assisting needy children.
* Our credo today is: we help needy kids get safe
shelter, education via scholarships and special learning for the disabled.
(Seated left-right) Praichit
Jetpai, Chairwoman of YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya; Lewis Underwood, Chairman of
Jesters Care for Kids; Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn, Sopin Thappajug,
CEO of Diana Group, Tony Malhotra Director of PR for Jesters Care for Kids,
with the graduates (standing left-right) Rienchai, Neffie and Chaichana.
How we raise funds:
* We seek donations by emailing companies and individuals
both locally and internationally throughout the year; our levels of
sponsorship are: Diamond (400K), Platinum (100K), Gold (50K), Silver (25K);
Bronze (10K); Pledges (less than 10K); no donation is ever considered too
small.
* We also encourage visitors go to our website and donate
by direct debit or PayPal.
* We also attract donors through the generous publicity
from press releases in Pattaya Mail and interviews on PMTV
throughout the year.
* Also, we raise funds from our events: Children’s Fair &
Gala Party Night.
Where the funds are distributed
* First of all, JCD Committee are all volunteers, so no
administrative cost is taken from donations.
* All money raised goes to the beneficiaries on the
Eastern Seaboard, as well as tsunami orphans in the south and a flood relief
project in Nakon Pathom for the renovation of a school.
In 2011, we raised 4.7 million baht and it went to the
following projects:
* Our Target Charity (2,407,923 baht): The Fountain of
Life Center in Pattaya, under the Good Shepherd Foundation, provides
kids with day care, documentation, pre-education, meals, medical/dental and
ultimately, scholarships for entering gov. schools. This past year 69
children received scholarships; total raised for them was Scholarships
(52,815 baht): “The Next Step Program”: Ten university students are
being supported through funds given to Fountain of Life Center above. Eight
are in their 3rd year, one is in his first year and another graduated last
month. An extra was provided for another candidate, who goes to vocational
college in Sattahip, as well as tsunami orphans in Krabi since 2005.
Fountain of Life’s Khru
Wannee thanks the supporters.
* Public Schools (436,590 baht): we primarily
provide new construction or renovation of classrooms, dormitories, canteens,
first aid stations, drinking water systems and toilets. Schools benefited
this past year were:
Chaknak Primary School in Nong Prue, Tungklom Primary
School in Nong Prue, Pluak Dang School in Rayong and Wat Puttamrangsi School
in Nakon Chaisri, Nakon Pathom, which was flooded for two months; we paid
for the repairs and replacement of educational aids.
* Special Schools (415,140 baht): Mostly for new
construction or renovation of classrooms, dorms, furnishings, drinking water
systems, educational aids, musical instruments, sports equipment, uniforms,
diet supplements for:
Khao Baisri Special Education for the Disabled in
Sattahip (since 2005; core beneficiary), Pattaya Redemptorist School for the
Blind in Naklua (since 2002; core beneficiary) and Special Olympics in
Pattaya (since 2009).
* Shelters (1,184,030 baht): We provide new
construction or renovation of emergency centers and orphanages; cover
monthly food costs, yearly 24/7 care for 2 severely disabled kids with HIV,
as well as taking these special kids shopping and on pleasure excursions for
the following:
Chatladda Thepchamni,
Director of Operations of the Diana Group.
Camillian Home in Lat Krabang and Camillian Social Center
in Rayong in (core beneficiary since 2008) is a joint venture with the
Canadian Jackalope Open; Ban Jing Jai Foundation in Nong Prue (since 2006;
core beneficiary) and Share Love with a Friend Project in Nong Prue; the
latter provides rice/milk distribution monthly to families with disabled
kids, as well as wheelchairs and extra help when needed (since June 2011;
core beneficiary).
* Fair Day (188, 900 baht): We donate event shirts to
our project kids and provide them with coupons at the Fair so they can play
games and go on rides free of cost.
How do we promote our Charity Drive?
Efforts of Committee and with 4 Charity Drive Partners:
* Baltex Industries (SINTO) - Produce and subsidize
event shirts which feature major sponsors on back and new front design
annually.
* Diana Group - DGR facilities for Children’s Fair (Sopin
Thappajug & DGR); 11th year at DGR.
* Amari Orchid Pattaya - for our Gala Party Night (GM
David Cummings)
* Pattaya Mail Publishing - Media
* Program of press articles with linked TV.
* Features on ‘PMTV’ throughout the year. There
have been weekly press releases supported by TV interviews from June 1st
which will proceed through Sep 24th.
* Publicity material - Poster/flyer design, Yearbook 48
pp full color.
* Thai media & language liaison.
* Pattaya Mail has been a Platinum Sponsor
(100,000 baht) for 10 years now, which is equivalent to 1,000,000 baht but
in actually so much more as well.
Our Main Events are coming up soon next month
Jesters Children’s Fair
Sunday Sept 9th at Diana Garden Resort and Driving Range
(Note: Stalls are full; subsequent applicants are being
waitlisted)
* Children’s Fair opens at 10 a.m. by VIP’s from City
Hall, DGR, PM and Jesters; accompanied by Pattaya school marching band and
Jesters motorcycles.
* 93 stalls, including all kinds of activities and food.
* Stage performances by children and teens;
* Many games and amusement for children, including bouncy
castle, climbing wall, carnival rides.
* BHP Ambulance Unit. BP Stall with free check.
* Pattaya Sports Club Children’s Raffle Drawing: Flat
screen TV, Giant Bear & many valuable prizes.
Jesters Gala Party Night
Saturday 22nd September at Amari Orchid Pattaya
(Note: Tables are full; subsequent applicants are being
waitlisted)
* GPN starts at 7 p.m. and goes to late; book tables of
10 for international buffet @ 1800 baht per person, includes complimentary
wine, beer and soft drinks
* Russell Jay, Compere, and Mark Rogers, Auctioneer, with
a variety of entertainment.
* Grand Auction bidding of 20 plus items; top
items are Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin signed guitar; signed NHL jerseys by
Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.
* Grand Raffle drawing of 20 great prizes, which
includes Honda PCX150 (80,000 baht value); car rental voucher and hotel stay
vouchers for all over Thailand.
We wrapped up the conference by inviting our 3 graduates
to speak, Rienchai, Chaichana and Neffie, who were the real stars of the
event. After all, the ultimate goal of our charity drive is not only to
start the kids in school at primary level, but to help them go all the way
through university or vocational college. And these shining examples are our
successful stories can show the others that nothing is impossible if you
give your best.
For further information, or to bid on an auction item,
please go to www.care4kids .info or www.facebook.com/jesterscare.forkids. To
make a donation, go to [email protected]
