Hand to Hand reaches out with wheelchair donation

Margaret Grainger from the Hand to Hand Foundation (right) donates a surplus wheelchair to Saisamorn “Yui” Pithak (left) for her 94-year-old grandmother in Khon Kaen.

Paul Strachan
One of the great dynamics when it comes to charity organizations in Pattaya is the fact that they work together in an effort to aid those who really need assistance.
A Dee Jay at City Hall radio named Saisamorn Pithak (Yui) was interviewing a member of the Thai Farang Initiative (TFi) and mentioned off-air that her grandmother was in need of a wheelchair.
A month later the TFi member was chatting to Margaret Grainger from the Hand to Hand Foundation and the subject of wheelchairs came up. Margie mentioned that she had two spare wheelchairs that had been given to her after the death of some local people and Margie said she would be delighted to pass it on to someone who needs it.
A few days later Yui went down to the Hand to Hand center at Duck Square in South Pattaya whereby she was introduced to Margie and the wheelchair was handed over to her.
The wheelchair is now en-route to Khon Kaen where Yui’s 94-year-old grandmother will get the full use of it.
Margie pointed out that they can make use of literally anything, from old bikes and clothes, etc. If you would like to help and find out more about the work that Margie and her team do at Hand to Hand, please go online to: www.handtohandpattaya.com

Black & White Charity Night

Elfi Seitz
Casual or elegant, everyone was decked out in monochrome as the Rotary Club of Marina-Pattaya threw its annual “Black & White” party March 15 at the Mercure Hotel in Pattaya.
Rotarians and friends connected to the only French-speaking club in Thailand and Southeast Asia came clad in theme, some in long dresses and some in more ordinary attire. President Pierre Yves Erraud, incoming President Joseph Roy and board members welcomed the guests. A buffet was arranged for the guests while the house band entertained.
The highlight of the event was an auction of art pieces. More than 40 lithographs and etchings depicting paintings by Dali, Picasso, Toulouse Lautrec, Gaveau, and Spahn were on offer.
Erraud, who once was a professional auctioneer in Paris, explained the pieces in French, which was translated by Olivier Meyer. All the artwork belonged to the president, who donated them to the Rotary Club Marina.

Thank you Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya for caring

(Above & below) The before photographs of Ta Auan’s family home.

Allison Lutton
Ta Auan has been housebound for some considerable time because he cannot walk. But recently, thanks to the generosity of a Norwegian Group, he is now the proud owner of a wheelchair. You would think problem solved, but not quite. The next issue to face the family was, how do we get Mr Ta Auan out of his house? His pathway was made of broken wooden sticks and not wheelchair friendly. He was still stuck in his house.
Kate’s Project then approached Philip Wall Morris, Director of Community Services, Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, to ask for help. Philip and his committee were delighted and very willing to help. Building materials were purchased and a new pathway was constructed in double quick time. The house was also made water tight before the rainy season starts.
You’ll be pleased to know that Ta Auan can now been seen in his wheelchair in the surrounding area of his home. It has made such a difference to his life and also that of his family.

(Above & below) The after photographs of Ta Auan’s family home.

Benihana celebrates 50th birthday with Hip-Hop

Hip-Hop teachers Megu (right) and Rebecca (left) bust some moves with 2 stars of the Benihana show.

Dr. Iain Corness
The Benihana Japanese Steakhouse in the Royal Garden Plaza is very close to its 20th birthday, but the Benihana restaurant chain itself is celebrating its 50th birthday.
That being a very significant number Miss Keiko Aoki, the owner, wanted to do something different to mark the half century. “Something different” was to send two Hip-Hop dancers, originally from Osaka, on a world tour to bring the Hip-Hop fun message to all the Benihana outlets.

Our chef was very taken with Megu, making a fried rice dish spell “I Love You” complete with a beating heart.

The two dancers were Hip-Hop teachers Megu and Rebecca (who is now in the US long enough to be considered a New Yorker, and where they met Miss Keiko). Rebecca admitting that they were just in the right place at the right time! So far on the Hip-Hop tour they have been to Romania, Bangkok and now Pattaya (April 17-20), with Dubai being the next stop.
Rebecca says that Hip-Hop is a form of cultural expression and an outlet for originality and creativity. In many ways this mirrors the Benihana Teppanyaki approach to cooking. Rebecca and Megu saying that Teppanyaki cooking is common in Japan, but none with the originality and creativity shown by the chefs in Benihana.
We sat with Rebecca and Megu and were just as entertained as they were watching flying eggs and salt cellars that could wind up sitting atop the chef’s toques. Our chef was very taken with Megu, making a fried rice dish spell “I Love You” complete with a beating heart.
The Benihana Hip-Hoppers wowed the crowd at the main stage of the Royal Garden Plaza, Dicey Reilly’s, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not as well as the Benihana restaurant itself.
Unfortunately, they have gone to the next city on the world tour, but the showman chefs are still here in our Benihana Japanese Steakhouse.
Benihana Japanese Steakhouse, Royal Garden Plaza Second floor, 12 Noon till 10 p.m., telephone 038 412 120 (booking advised), secure/free parking in the basement of the Royal Garden Plaza (but remember to get your docket stamped by the Benihana people before you return to your car).

John Andrew Manley (2nd left), Marriot Pattaya’s Director of F&B, and Santiago Costa (2nd right), Assistant F&B Manager join the Benihana 50th anniversary fun.

Pattaya Sports Club charity update - It was once a field now a built up area

The Mayor of Nongprue and Mut thank PSC.

William Macey
60 years ago Nongprue, like Pattaya, was an open expanse of land with very few buildings or roads. This is when Mut, now 81 years old, built his house in the middle of nowhere. Things have changed dramatically since then but not for the better as far as this house is concerned for a big ongoing problem has emerged.
It does not take a large sum of money to help families in need. The families regular income comes from collecting items that can be sold for recycling and if you have nothing of value, a few thousand baht can go a long way to easing the burden of everyday life and is so welcome by the family. As was the case recently. Nongprue Municipality asked Pattaya Sports Club to help a family of 6, three generations, living in cramped conditions in Nongprue. The problem concerned the living/sleeping area which accumulated water at an alarming rate during the rainy season making sleeping impossible.
The house had been built by Mut and was built in the middle of a field but, since then, drains had been installed along the road and below the house. Other homes have been built either side and behind and at a higher level, the end result being that the floor had cracked and water seeped through the floor, to a level of about 6 inches, causing so many problems and many sleepless nights.
Pattaya Sports Club was asked to help and we met a surveyor, on site, who said that, it in his opinion, the situation would only worsen and the solution was to raise and strengthen the floor - easier said than done perhaps. Hard core had been donated buy a local builder but sand and cement were now required and, with the help of Pattaya Sports Club, these were purchased and delivered. Friends, neighbours and relatives rallied around to help and within just a few days the work was completed.
The family will now have somewhere dry to sleep come the rainy season.

Finished at last.

Life goes on amongst the rubble.

Everyone chips in to help.

Hard-core was donated by a local builder.

Mut can rest happily now.

A great big thank you to Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya

During the recent cold spell in Pattaya, blankets were purchased and delivered to the many children and families who were suffering from the cold.

Allison Lutton, PILC
The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya has come to the rescue of the Kate’s Project three times recently. Look at what they have done…
First, during the recent cold spell in Pattaya, many children and families were suffering from the cold. Jomtien-Pattaya Rotary wanted to help some of our underprivileged families within the Pattaya and Jomtien areas. Blankets were purchased and delivered to the appropriate families most in need.
Next, we had a number of families who built makeshift homes but don’t have windows or in some cases four proper walls. Consequently, they are very exposed to the elements of weather and infestations; in particular, mosquitoes.
We were approached by a group of families, all living in the same area, asking if we could help them by buying mosquito nets for their children. The children were exposed to daily mosquito bites. Jomtien-Pattaya Rotary agreed to purchase the mosquito nets for some of the families, and we now have many happy children getting a good sleep at night.
Last, but certainly not least, the sponsoring of two children living in the ATTC with a most unfortunate background. They have no father and the mother is unable to work due to truly tragic circumstances. The mother, however, was desperate to get her children educated. No words can express the gratitude of thanks to Jomtien Rotary.
The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, like other Rotary Clubs around the world, carries out truly amazing work. Very special thanks of gratitude must go to Philip Wall Morris, Director of Community Services and his fellow members of Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya for greatly assisting with these kind donations. You really do make a difference.

The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya purchased mosquito nets for some of the families, who now have many happy children getting a good sleep at night.