Rotary Club of Phoenix Pattaya raises 1 million baht for charity
More than 75 golfers raised at least a million baht for children as the Rotary Club of Phoenix-Pattaya held its first charity golf tournament.
German Ambassador H.E. Georg Schmidt was the guest of honor for the tourney at the Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club. Seventy-eight golfers competed for the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Trophy and two trophies in the name of H.E. Schmidt and Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome.
Organizer Axel Brauer ensured the event would be a success, saying beforehand that he would raise a minimum of 1 million baht which would be donated to the Human Help Network Foundation (Thailand), Child Protection and Development Center (CPDC), Take Care Kids Foundation and the German Aid Association Thailand e.V. (Deutscher Hilfe Verein e.V.).
Jung Chum Park of South Korea won the Nov. 1 tournament, receiving the prestigious Princess’s trophy at the post-golf gala dinner at the Renaissance Pattaya Resort in Jomtien Beach.
Kampanart Tangamatakul took second place, receiving the Ambassador’s Cup from H.E. Georg Schmidt, and Tarana Kanya third, receiving the Mayor’s Cup from Sonthaya Kunplome’s advisor Rattanachai Sutidechanai.
The poolside reception and ballroom dinner were lavish affairs, with beautiful violin music from Princess Group, Rock ‘n Roll from sensation Barry Upton, dance performances by children of the CPDC, the rock ‘n roll dancers from the Plutaluang dance club, and the rollicking Elvis Presley impersonator Arthur Elvis.
Past Rotary District 3340 Gov. Peter Malhotra emceed the event, introducing Schmidt, Brauer and Phoenix club President Dieter Barth for speeches to a crowd full of community leaders and expats who flew in for the occasion.
Among them at the VIP table were Roland Wein, director of the Thai-German Chamber of Commerce, German Honorary Consul Hagen Dirksen, who is also German Aid Association Thailand, Sopin Thappajug, managing director of the Diana Group, HHNF Director Radchada Chomjinda, Praichit Jetapai, chairwoman of the YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center, and Noi Emerson, charity chairwoman for the Pattaya Sports Club.
Volker Fischer and wife Monika were among the guests, just having returned from Vienna along with Fabian Arp of ThaiGerline, Dr. Olivier Meier and members of the Rotary Club of Marina Pattaya, and former German golf champ Jens Maspfuhl.
There was plenty of action on the golf course during the day
The Gala Dinner and prize presentations was a star-studded glittering affair.