Elegantly dressed Rotarians added sparkle to a beautifully decorated ballroom at the Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa where the Rotary Club of the Eastern Seaboard hosted its annual Christmas party on Dec. 6.
Club President Russel Iffland welcomed all the guests, followed by speeches from past presidents Jan Abbink and Carl R. Dyson.
Consuming good wines and indulging in the buffet, guests enjoyed a comfy atmosphere and were entertained by musical oldies, amongst them were songs from Elvis Presley.
Radchada Chomjinda (center) receives the Paul Harris Fellowship from (from left) Martin Brands, Bob Denzel, Russel Iffland, Carl R. Dyson and Jan Abbink.
Children from the Pattaya Orphanage performed under the leadership of the director of the Human Help Network Thailand, Radchada Chomjinda. A few volunteers took part as well in the choral singing.
Guests seemed to love the show and gave thunderous applause. The children received gifts after the show.
Martin Brands, the founding president of the club, surprised the audience by taking the stage to honor Radchada for her charity work. He presented her with the Paul Harris Fellowship, Rotary’s highest honor.
“She receives this award for 22 years of devoted work for the Pattaya Orphanage and its children,” Brands said.
Radchada was given yet another big surprise when she received a 22,000 baht donation for her 22 years of service. Brands said that the money was only for her and not to be donated to the orphanage.
Brands himself was honored for all the work he has done for his club over many years. Russel presented him with a certificate.
