Christmas in Thailand seems to be getting more popular each year. In many shops, bars and restaurants there are more lights, bigger trees and louder carols blaring out of the sound systems.
The Father Ray Foundation decided to host a party for all the children, students, workers and volunteers, and on the evening of Monday the 26th December more than eight hundred people gathered together to celebrate Christmas.
All the children received a delicious bag of cookies.
This is the first time that such a large party was organised, but the aim was to unite all the children and students together as one big family, recognize their hard work and give them a party they would never forget.
The theme of the party was ‘70’s Disco’, and as most children and students attending the event were not born in the 1970’s there was a lot of confusion when the young children saw their teachers dressed in the fashion of decades ago.
Thanks to a very generous benefactor, who donated funds to be used specifically for a Christmas party, the children sat down for a Chinese banquet while being entertained by many different acts. The food was superb and the children were amazed at just how much of it there was, and no matter how many dishes appeared there was not a single grain of rice that went to waste.
The blind students really enjoyed their first Christmas party.
The choir from the Vocational School for People with Disabilities performed a wonderful selection of traditional Christmas carols. This was followed by the teenagers from the Special Needs Center whose performance saw the audience jumping to their feet and dancing along.
The audience was once again on their feet when Miss Apple, former student from the School for the Blind took to the stage to perform a few numbers. The young blind students immediately recognized the song she was singing and they too were on their feet dancing along.
Highlight of the evening was when the foreign volunteers climbed onto the stage to perform a medley of hits from the 1970’s. As the volunteers finished their last dance, and the sounds of the Village People’s hit YMCA faded away, the ringing of bells saw the arrival Santa Claus.
Most young children came running forward, all wanting to shake the hand of Santa, but there were just as many who had never met the big man in the red suit and they ran away screaming. That was until the volunteers started throwing candy from the stage, and then they soon came running back.
The children left with full bellies, armfuls of gifts and smiles on their faces, all looking forward to next Christmas.
The crowd loved Miss Apple’s performance.
For many youngsters it was their first time meeting Santa, and many ran away screaming.
The foreign volunteers were the highlight of the evening.
Father Michael, director of the Father Ray Foundation, with the beautiful volunteers.
Not a grain of rice went uneaten.
The teenagers from the Special Needs Center getting ready to perform.
The choir from the Vocational School for People with Disabilities.
