It is quite astonishing that a small group of golfers who play out of The Growling Swan bar in Pattaya have achieved a near miracle. Small fines are collected after each game for minor infringements like being late, forgetting some equipment, spilling your beer, or even worse, spilling someone else’s beer. The fines are placed in a trophy mascot called D-For the Dog and donated to local charity.
What is so remarkable about this? Since they opened the outlet in Soi Chaiyapoon, through the generosity of Peter Grey and the Growling Swan golfers they have accumulated and donated an amazing 350,000 baht. A remarkable achievement indeed!
These funds have been used to provide drinking water to schools that previously did not have that facility, sports equipment to children who have no family, provisions to those living with HIV to build houses and more recently shoes, fans and clothing to the ATCC.
The most recent venture was a donation to a small school in Nongprue that has 550 children. We are all aware of the importance of drinking water for we cannot live without it, and in the West most of us take having water at the turn of a tap for granted, but many schools around Pattaya do not have that facility.
Chumchon Ban Nongprue School had 2 small filters that we would normally use on a personal basis in the home, filtering water to one tap for the entire school. That has now changed thanks to The Growling Swan golfers who provided 2 new commercial filters, with UV technology, that have been installed and attached to 6 taps in the main activity area and the children have access to drinking water with just a turn of the tap, something they have not been accustomed to even in their homes.
Members of The Growling Swan, YWCA and some guests went to the school recently and were welcomed with open arms by many of the children and teachers, thanking everyone for coming and giving a plant to the guests in memory of a great day.
