Fun at the Father Ray Children’s
Home.
Derek Franklin
The teenagers attending the Father Ray Center for Children with Special
Needs are, like many teenagers, obsessed with playing soccer. They train every
morning and again in the afternoon, and yet they have never played a competitive
match against another team, until recently.
When asked if they would like to play against a visiting team they could not
contain their excitement, until they discovered who they would be playing.
The US Marines would be visiting Pattaya as part of the annual Cobra Gold joint
military exercises, and prior to arriving at the Father Ray Foundation they had
offered to play against the teenagers.
The teenagers with special needs did
not win their soccer match, but they didn’t lose either.
While the visiting Marines may be the leaders in many sports,
soccer is not one of them and playing against a team who had never played before
the final score was two goals each. No one is sure whether the US Marines were
bad players or the prize of a trip to KFC urged the teenagers to play well.
The Marines also visited the Father Ray Children’s Home where they spent an
afternoon taking part in various activities with the children, including playing
soccer, basketball, an arm-wrestling competition and learning the skills and art
of Muay Thai.
Later, they arrived at the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with
Disabilities and helped the students improve their English skills.
The final stop for the Marines was at the Father Ray Day Care Center.
Many of the servicemen and women have been on duty and away from their families,
children and loved ones for many months, so meeting the toddlers was a moving,
but happy, experience for many.
While pictures have appeared in the media showing the Marines dressed in battle
gear, taking part in jungle exercises and drinking snake’s blood, there is also
a softer side to these tough soldiers.
More information can be found at www.fr-ray.org or email
[email protected].
New friends swapping email addresses.
Learning the art of Muay Thai.
Making new friends at the Vocational
School.
The strength of two nations.
The US Marines enjoyed meeting the
toddlers at the Day Care Center.
Meeting the toddlers at the
Foundation was a reminder of home for many.
The Marines were willing to take tips
from the youngster.
