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Jesters, they care - they help
Lewis (Woody) Underwood,
chairman of the Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive, shares with PCEC
members the origins of Jesters, from ‘a bunch of Harley owners helping needy
kids’, growing now to be a, if not the, major player in charities in
Chonburi and Rayong.
The Jesters, they care - they help. This was the message
from Lewis (Woody) Underwood, chairman of the Jesters Care for Kids Charity
Drive who spoke at last Sunday’s meeting. Master of Ceremonies Richard
Silverberg welcomed Woody back to bring everyone up to date on their
activities this past year. Woody was a co-founder and has been the chairman
of the Jester’s Care for Kids organization since its inception in 1998.
Woody was born in Hawaii and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1973
he made his first trip to Asia as an American Peace Corps volunteer. He was
working with a freshwater fisheries program in the Terai area of Nepal.
After his two year stint, he stayed on to teach other volunteers; eventually
he led educational treks into the Himalaya with an emphasis on natural
history, religion and culture for those seeking university credits. He first
visited Thailand in 1980 and settled here in Pattaya in 1986.
 Jesters
sponsor a monthly rice and milk distribution to poor families with disabled
children, at Nong Prue Municipality.
Woody began his presentation by providing a brief history of how the
Jester’s Motorcycle Club Thailand got its start when several owners of
Harley Davidson Motorcycles initially joined in with other clubs that were
based in Bangkok, but decided to form their own club in Pattaya. That was in
1996. Woody, a co-founder was president of the club from 1999 to 2007.
Initially they started helping needy kids including the Fountain of Life
organization. Woody explained how they decided to form a charity and held
their first Children’s Fair in 1998. Since then, it is an annual event and
is their major fund raiser.
Their other major event is their Gala Party Night (originally called the Pub
Night). It was held at the Amari Orchid Resort last year and will be again
this year. Woody said that it was so popular last year that all the tables
are already sold out for this year’s event.
The money they raise from the Fair and Gala Party as well as contributions
from corporate sponsors is the source of the funds they need to carry out
several charitable projects and programs throughout the year. These projects
have expanded considerably since 1998. He is proud of the fact that all the
donations received go for charity projects and none to administration.
They don’t set targets; they do the best they can to raise as much as they
can. Woody pointed out that if they fund a building project, they do the
building and if they obtain items for the charity, they buy the products.
Using pictures showing the projects they fund, Woody described them and how
their funding has helped those kids in need over the past 13 years. He
pointed out some specific individuals in the pictures that have contributed
their time and effort in carrying out their program.
Woody described several building projects they have done as well as other
assistance they have provided. He noted that their primary target for
assistance is the Fountain of Life Center under the Good Shepherd
Foundation. They also have helped schools in the surrounding area. They also
contributed to the Camillian Social Center, the Ban Jing Jai Orphanage,
Kate’s Project, and the Kharma Foundation in Kanchanaburi. Further, they
assisted Khao Baisri Home for Disabled Boys and the Pattaya Redemptorist
School for the Blind. They also helped sponsor the Special Olympics for the
handicapped.
They also sponsor scholarships for kids at the Fountain of Life to go to
government schools and their Next Step program provides scholarships for
special cases to go to vocational school and universities. He also pointed
out that several of their projects are joint projects with other charitable
organizations. They have found that it is often beneficial to combine
resources to carry out projects that might be beyond the means of a single
organization.
Woody concluded by describing the plans for this year’s Children’s Fair at
Diana Garden Resort and Driving Range. He said they are hoping for dry
weather; unlike last year when Pattaya was deluged with one of the heaviest
rain falls and flooding in the past 50 years. For more information on
Jester’s charitable work, visit
http://www.care4kids.info/.
After Woody answered several questions, MC Richard Silverberg updated
everyone on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to conduct the always
interesting and lively Open Forum where questions are asked and answered
about expat living in Thailand; Pattaya in particular.
Read more about the Club’s activities on their website at www.pattayacityex
patsclub.com.
Come along on Sunday the 9th of September, from 10 a.m. for this year’s
Jesters Fair at Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range!
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Erawan hotel employees plant artificial
trees in Naklua Bay
Holiday Inn Pattaya and Ibis
Pattaya Hotel employees make artificial trees from ropes to be dropped in the
Naklua Reefs Preservation area.
Warunya Thongrod
More than 80 employees from the Holiday Inn Pattaya and Ibis Pattaya 2 hotels
shaped rope into artificial trees to be submerged off the Naklua coast to help
restore the marine ecosystem there.
Kamonwan Wipulakorn, president of the Erawan Group PLC, which owns the Pattaya
hotels, organized the Aug. 25 activity with the Rayong Department of Marine and
Coastal Resources. Local fishermen were also invited to the event at Lan Po
Public Park.
Attendees tied rope into bush and tree formations that can be used as shelter
for animals and a foundation for coral once dropped into the sea.
“I think this activity is beneficial to many departments for Pattaya,” Kamonwan
said. “Natural resources are important and must be accounted for. I believe that
to build stability for tourism, aquatic resources must be diverse, thus, the
activity, which we had received collaboration from DMCR including sponsorship of
equipment and officers helping us to lay the artificial trees in the Naklua Reef
Preservation Area, was a success.”
Montree Hamontree, general manager of prevention and control for DMCR, said
original plans called for coconut leaves but ropes were deemed to last longer
underwater.
The Erawan Group pledged to continue its efforts to benefit society, continuing
next with an “underwater hotel” for fish. Public officials will check the
progress of the latest effort in coming days.
Kamonwan Wipulakorn (5th from
left), president of the Erawan Group PLC., pose with employees from Holiday Inn
Pattaya and Ibis Pattaya Hotel.
Kamonwan Wipulakorn (center) helps
make the artificial trees from ropes.
Holiday Inn Pattaya and IBIS
Pattaya Hotel’s employees board small boats ship to take their creations to the
Naklua Reefs Preservation area.
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We’re just good friends, says the Dusit Pattaya’s GM
Stephane Bringer GM Woodlands
Resort welcomes Harald Feurstein GM Hilton Pattaya.
Dr Iain Corness
The monthly meeting of the general managers, known as the GM Gang, was
held in the La Ferme restaurant last Thursday. Twenty-two of the leading lights
of the hospitality business in Pattaya attended.
Gang leader Chatchawal Supachayanont, the Dusit Pattaya Resort’s GM was smiling
benignly as he greeted every one of his fellow GM’s. When asked directly as to
whether the GM Gang was really an unholy alliance, as they were actually all
competing against each other, he replied that during the Gang meetings at least,
they were all friends and did not ask each other about occupancy rates.
It was a ‘welcome home’ for Sophon Vongchatchainont, the GM of the Pullman
Pattaya Hotel G, who has been working as a GM in China for some years. When
asked how did the Chinese staff compare to Thai staff in their hospitality
abilities, he replied that the Chinese were good, after being trained to Thai
standards!
Stephane greets Chatchawal
Supachayanont GM Dusit Thani Pattaya and chief of the ‘GM Gang’.
The GM of the Sheraton, Michael Delargy, spoke on the
increasing importance of Pattaya in world tourism, and how the demographics are
changing, with the new group tourism coming from China and India, and how the
Russian (and Eastern European) market was maturing, with many of the repeat
travelers now also taking in Bali and Vietnam.
Other core members of the Gang included Rene Pisters (Thai Garden Resort),
Philippe Delaloye (Cape Dara Resort), Somkhit Tonsaiphet (Zign Hotel), Harald
Feurstein (Hilton) and Stephane Bringer and Alisa Phanthusak (Woodlands), with
everyone enjoying the dinner menu from La Ferme, rounded out by a Belgian Beer
Sabayon, the result of much whisking of the beer and egg yolks by chef Kenneth
Goessens.
Undoubtedly, the GM Gang is a very popular event for the local GMs, with the
different hotel properties hosting the Gang on a rotational basis, and its
continuing success a tribute to the foresight of Chatchawal Supachayanont.
Alisa Phanthusak is flanked by
Thomas Koh (left), GM Furama Jomtien Beach and Sophon Vongchatchainont, GM
Pullman Pattaya Hotel G.
Rene Pisters (right) GM Thai
Garden Resort is all ears as he listens to Sophon Vongchatchainont talk of his
adventures in China.
(l-r) Dr Iain Corness, Nick Bauer,
GM dusitD2 baraquda Pattaya, Thomas Koh, Stephane Bringer and Philippe Delaloye
GM Cape Dara Pattaya enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail.
The ambiance of La Ferme is just
electrifying.
The GM Gang poses for a group
photograph in the exquisite surroundings of La Ferme.
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City offers silk-screening
classes to boost careers
Pattaya council member Chanansa
Sutthithamrongsawat (center) (4th holds up a design by one of the Sai community
citizens.
Warunya Thongrod
The Pattaya Social Welfare Department hosted a free job-training workshop,
offering classes to people interested in learning to silk-screen shirts.
Director Pannee Limchaorien opened the Aug. 30 class for interested Sai
Community residents.
Teachers Wasana Changmuang, Ussa Tangthum and Wiroj Phadungket lectured on
methods of cloth printing. Topics covered bag printing, block printing,
designing fabrics to cover televisions, and techniques in designing on various
fabrics.
The project was aimed at helping the neighborhood to develop a unique product to
market under the Pattaya Brand campaign pushed by Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome.
Warunee Changmuang, chief of Community Development and Social Welfare Support,
said the project is one of many done yearly throughout Pattaya to help develop
occupational skills. She said past workshops have been well received.
Wiroj Phadungket (left) and Wasana
Changmuang (2nd left), experts on fabric printing, demonstrate techniques of
coloring.
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