Everyone involved in the first Pattaya Ladyboy Water-Volleyball competition for charity last year had no idea how well things would go. In fact we really had no idea until the day of the event how successful it would be, although we knew by then we were on track to raise more money for local charities than we initially hoped.
Inspired by informal ladyboy volleyball tournaments on the beach in previous years, last year’s event was indeed a huge success. The ‘girls’ — more than 40 ladyboys from various bars around Pattaya and one team from Phuket — netted 285,854 baht for the Pattaya Orphanage/Children’s Home Foundation Pattaya and the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya’s Water4Life project.
Ladyboy water-volleyball returning to Areca Lodge, Soi Diana on October 26.
The orphanage used the money it received to cover permanent repair for a leaky room in an orphanage classroom. Rotary Club used its proceeds for its Water4Life program. The tournament raised enough money to provide water filtration systems — and consequently fresh, clean water — for two different rural Thai villages.
Everyone, organizers, spectators and of course the ladyboys playing volleyball, had a wonderful time. Not to mention our goal of displaying the positive role that ladyboys play in our community — one that’s often overlooked.
It was such a successful day that we’re happy to say that the 2013 Pattaya Ladyboy Water-Volleyball Competition is slated for Saturday, October 26. Once again the Areca Lodge on Soi Diana is providing the venue. There will be eight teams of ladyboys representing eight bars from around Thailand taking part. Those signed up are Baby Boom, Kings II Bar, La Bamba Bar, Sensations and Stringfellows from here in Pattaya, TJ’s Music Bar from Naklua, Cocktails and Dreams from Phuket, and Temptations/Cockatoo from Bangkok.
Like last year, the bars and the ‘girls’ are all donating their time and effort to help raise money for charity, and raise money we have! To date we’ve collected more than 500,000 for charity from ticket sales, bar sponsorships, donations and items for the charity auction held the day of the event — and we’ve still got a month to go.
We hope that in the ensuing weeks leading up to the tournament at the end of the month, we can more than double last year’s total.
Where will that money go? This year we are supporting four charities here in Pattaya, Phuket and Bangkok. Once again proceeds will go to Rotary Clubs Water4Life program. In addition to Water4Life, proceeds will go to another worthy Pattaya charity: HEARTT 2000. Led by Dr. Philippe Seur, HEARTT 2000 is a group of volunteers that assists those afflicted with HIV-AIDS.
In Bangkok, proceeds from the tourney will go to St. Camillus Foundation of Thailand’s Camillian Home program. Camillian Home’s goal is to provide children living with disabilities as normal a family life as possible, as well as creating a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities and their families.
Our fourth charity this year is Phuket’s The Life Home Project. Life Home’s aim is to provide a shelter for mothers who are HIV positive and their children where they can live safely in a supportive community.
While a lot of folks are helping out, either through donating time and effort or money, none of this would be possible without the ladyboys themselves. As the orphanage’s Rev. Fr. Michael Weera Phangrak remarked last year, it might surprise people just how active ladyboys are in helping their community, and the Pattaya Ladyboy Water-Volleyball Competition is just one example.
For more information or to see how you can help, email [email protected], or visit www.lbwvb.com.
