The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya together with the Pattaya Sports held the Rotary Charity Colour Fun Beach Run on Sunday Feb. 26 2023. The event was most generously co-hosted by Pattaya City who afforded the utmost support to ensure that the event became a most memorable one.
The organizers led by Rolf Ruegg, Pres. Carey Peck and Bijen Jonnche of the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya together with Pres. Tim Knight, VP Stan Rees and Willem Lasonder of the Pattaya Sports Club and their respective teams have been hard at work for the past few months putting the charity event together with the help of Rotarians, Pattaya Sports Club members and community volunteers. The Green Orange Events team in cooperation with SoldOutt Ticketing Platform handled the online ticket sales and liaised with city hall and other private and public organisations to arrange for everything that was needed, including the electric meter, security, sanitation and setting up the bamboo poles and track ribbon in the sand.
At break of dawn on Sunday morning, runners and spectators could be seen filling up the beach and promenade at the race venue on the corner of Beach Road and Central Road, registering and picking up their bags containing a t-shirt, colour pouches and water, and then anxiously waiting for the fun event to begin.
During this time the inimitable Rose Weston entertained the crowd with her singing and dancing and lively information.
Deputy Mayor Kritsana Boonsawad who had been a staunch supporter and advisor of the event right from the very start was the guest of honour. Not only did he officiate at the charity event, he also took to the beach and ran the 2 km course.
A few minutes before the start of the run, a signal was given for colour powder to be thrown into the air, landing on the faces and t-shirts of the runners as an auspicious sign that the thrilling colour run was about to begin. There were no pale faces in the crowd as more colour was gently smeared on faces and shirts of the runners by people around them.
The effervescent Rose Weston led the countdown and at precisely 8.30 a.m. more than 300 laughing and cheering runners took off down the beach track under a tremendous shower of colour.
It was sight to behold as hundreds of men, women and children jogged on the beach all the while spectators and other runners showered them with colourful powder.
Amazingly there were runners of all ages. The youngest being just 2 years old, accompanied by her parents of course, while the oldest was 84 years old. Some ran the 2 km course while others with more staying power went for the full 4 kms.
At the end of the race, awards were handed out to the winners, not because they were the fastest, but for being the most popular amongst the spectators, the youngest and the oldest. Others received prizes for being the best dancers, the cutest and runners who wore the craziest costumes.
The organisers wish to thank the sponsors for this year’s charity event which included, Pattaya Self Storage, PMG Shipyard, The Riviera Group, Pattaya Mail, Sophon Cable, August Restaurant, Homerly, Home & Pool, YWCA, Thai Garden Resort, Rotarian Jan von Koss, Rotarian Bijen Jonnche, Rotarian Ray Whitley and the Rotary E-Club of Dolphin Pattaya International.
They also wish to thank the Pattaya Mass Media Club for their support in promoting and publicising the event in their respective media. A special thank you goes to the charming staff of the Pattaya Sports Club who were ever ready to assist.
All funds raised from this charity event will go to assisting children at the Baan Jing Jai Home and the Anti Human Trafficking and Child Abuse Center. (ATCC)
(Photos by: Thanawat Suansuk & Jetsada Homklin)
