"It's Going to Work!"
The Jesters Children’s Fair and Family Day, being held at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort next weekend will be a winner. These are very upbeat words from one of the principal organisers, Kim Fletcher of Delaney’s Irish Pub.
When we first interviewed Kim about the forthcoming charity event, he was enthusiastic (like he always is with good concepts and ideas) as he knew how popular the Ploenchit Fair was in Bangkok. However, he did not know how much support he could swing in behind this initial event. Sure, it was to benefit the Fountain of Life’s charity works for the young underprivileged school children, but would the concept catch the imagination of Pattaya?
Two weeks after that initial interview Kim was bubbling over with eagerness. “Things are going along even better than I had hoped for. The response has been tremendous. To be honest, I’m quite overwhelmed by the support.”
From what Kim describes, this Fair will certainly be a success. Not only from the point of view of being a great money-raiser for charity, but also by being a wonderful day out for all the families in Pattaya. So many organisations and groups are now involved, from the Pattaya Sports Club, the Pattaya International Ladies Club, the Jesters themselves, the platinum sponsors Chonburi Siam Steel Mills, Carlsberg, Coca Cola, Foster Wheeler - the list is just endless and growing daily.
Even the International Schools are behind this fair. Jill Thomas, everyone’s favourite school mistress from St Andrews International School, has organised Face Painting, Hair Braiding and Balloon Clowns along with banks of computer games.
Kids “Olympics” with events like three legged and egg and spoon races will have us all remembering our childhood. It really will be a traditional village fair with something for everyone.
Mike Franklin from the PSC will be running a Raffle with Paul Dobbs, and there will be a toffee apple stall. Imagine! Toffee apples! How long since you had one of those!
The PILC have pledged bartenders to help those from TQ, to run the Carlsberg Beer Tent. The Royal Garden Resort is in there too, with some of the fun units coming over from their Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Tower Records are there. Benihana is there as are many other food and restaurant outlets. And everyone is ploughing their profits straight into the Charity Appeal. “This is the whole community getting behind it,” said Kim.
The Tug-O-War teams, the tennis displays, the aerobics show, the Bangkok D.J.’s Andy Francis and Paul Jackson, live bands and everything you might ever want in a fair will be there. The Pattaya Mail will be there, the Pattaya Mail Channel TV will be there too. All of Pattaya will be there. All that is missing now is YOU. Keep that date in mind - Saturday the 4th of September.
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"On Yer Bike!"
You’ve probably started to see the posters springing up all over town publicising the Great Bike Ride on the 4th of September. Organiser Darren Rose of the Jesters Motorcycle Club is particularly happy with the interest being shown by the public in this year’s event. “Last year we raised over 200,000 Baht for the Fountain of Life and I reckon we’ll top that this year!”
In sharp contrast to the event in ’98, which was a fairly serious one and a half day ride, the event this year is much more ‘fun’ oriented. Last year there were only seven riders, while this year there are already over 30 entries for the 47 km event.
“We’ve asked each rider to get 5,000 Baht sponsorship and Susi from the Hash has raised 30,000 Baht already!” The event is certainly catching the imagination and there has been so many “older” riders wanting to have a go, that Darren is having to seriously consider assembling a “geriatric” group that will leave slightly earlier than the rest. In fact, he said, “We’ll probably even have a couple of the real old timers on exercise bicycles in the back of the pick-up!”
There are some serious bikers in the bunch. Pattaya Panther Steve Fraser and Chris Bradshaw being two of the names being put forward as likely sprinters over the distance. There are also entries from the Bangkok Mountain Bike Hashers and the Naklua Mountain Bike Club.
The majority will be fun loving social cyclists, however, and Darren is looking for a tandem bicycle for two stalwarts who have agreed to do it together. Another fun entry is a Rickshaw, which has been hired from Sri Racha (perhaps even with the rider as well!)
Darren also mentioned that the person who correctly guesses the time the first rider swings in through the gate of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort will win 5,000 Baht. Get your pencils out, it’s 47 kms and they are leaving from the Camel Bar in Ban Chang at 8:30 in the morning ... what time to the Royal Cliff?
If you are interested in going on this fun run, you can contact Darren on 733 239.
