KID’S CORNER
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

AFT-ERC throws Christmas Party for orphans

UK Club Pattaya treats children from the Camillian Social Center to a beachside Christmas party

Pattaya Sports Club donates new bicycles to Pattaya school children

The Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled presents certificates to graduates

AFT-ERC throws Christmas Party for orphans

The Association of Filipinos in Thailand - Eastern Chapter (AFT-ERC) organized a Christmas party for the orphans and the Pattaya Orphanage on December 15. Presents and Christmas goodies were handed out to the children and a sumptuous lunch was prepared.

Santa Claus (Thor Oscar Jorgensen) hands out gifts to the children.

Time to eat.

The kids helped to decorate a 5-meter tall Christmas tree and later they sang Christmas carols for their benefactors.

The creation of a 5-meter tall Christmas tree.

The orphans sing Christmas carols for their benefactors.

The AFT-ERC also donated 4 different kinds of milk and diapers to the orphanage. Sponsors of this event include World Gems, Friendship Supermarket, Stadt Marburg Restaurant, Hopf Brewhouse, Scandinavia Restaurant and Cafe New Orleans.


UK Club Pattaya treats children from the Camillian Social Center to a beachside Christmas party

Songklod Kaewvisit

Twenty-four HIV infected children - residents at the Camillian Social Center in Rayong - were treated to a day at the beach in Jomtien by the UK Club of Pattaya.

The group met last Thursday morning at Yorkies Pork Platter in Jomtien. The benevolent group included UK Club members and the committee from the UK Club of Pattaya, plus Stan Parsons from Lodge Pattaya West Winds.

Santa Claus visited the children and of course handed out presents.

Father Giovanni helps out the youngsters at lunchtime.

Father Giovanni Contarin, director of the Camillian Center, brought 24 young residents to enjoy a Christmas lunch and a day at the beach in an effort to provide a spark of warmth and joy to the children.

Delighted at a chance to go to the beach, the kids splashed about in the water and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Happy and hungry, they all trooped in for lunch at Yorkies. A surprise visit from Santa put wide smiles on the faces of these youngsters as the jolly old gentlemen (aka Bert Elson from the Queen Victoria Inn) handed out gifts to all.

One of the “benefits” of living near Pattaya is to be able to spend Christmastime at the beach.

Stan Parsons said, “These children may have a very short life but it is up to us provide the warmth, love and happiness that they deserve. We want to give them encouragement to continue their fight for life and let them know that they have the right to live happily. When we see these children having fun we are happy, too. We sincerely hope that they have the opportunity to grow and become warm and caring people.”

The UK Club of Pattaya chose the Camillian Social Center as their special charity project for the year and provides funds for medicine and basic necessities for residents.

The Camillian Social Center in Rayong is a charitable foundation that cares for HIV infected patients who are cast out by society. Most of the children living at the center were born with the disease or had it transmitted by their mothers during infancy and have been orphaned by this modern-day plague.

The center, run by Father Giovanni Contarin, gives primary care for HIV infected patients and those with full-blown AIDS. The center also tries to educate people on how to prevent and protect themselves from becoming infected.


Pattaya Sports Club donates new bicycles to Pattaya school children

Akshay Singh

Pattaya Sports Club (PSC) charity chairman, Bernie Tuppin presented 8 new bicycles to the Mercy Ministries on Friday December 20. This has now brought PSC’s donations to total more than 5 million baht.

The Thai pastor from the Mercy Ministries Sanay Srisa-ard (far left), PSC charity chairman Bernie Tuppin (right foreground), Dianne and Fred Doell (far right), teacher Chanchao Russel (4th left), and four student representatives attended the bicycle handover presentation.

Chanchao Russel, a committee member and teacher at Pattaya School No. 7, attended the function to receive the bikes from Bernie and Sanay Srisa-ard, the Thai pastor from the Mercy Ministries. Four student representatives attended the presentation.

The Mercy Ministries also supports two orphanages in Pattaya under the name of El Shaddai. One is now running autonomously but the other home is in need of assistance.

The donation was made possible with funds raised from the PSC Charity Classic Golf Tournament in January 2002, topping up the funding for the association’s many charity projects in the region.

The PSC will be holding the next Charity Classic Golf Tournament early next month. This annual event raises funds for various charities around the city, and the money is mainly raised from the entry fees from tournament participants.

The Charity Classic 2002 raised an astonishing 391,755 baht, which was distributed to organizations such as the Camillian AIDS Center, Banchang Hospital, Chonburi Children’s Observation & Detention Center, and the Banglamung Boy’s Home.

The PSC is looking for more entries for next year’s tournament, as every donation can make a difference when put to work for a worthy cause.

Those who want to provide sponsorship for the PSC Charity Classic can contact the Pattaya Sport Club on 038 361 167. For information on how you can help the Mercy Ministries, call Fred or Dianne Doell at tel. 038 300 612. No matter how large or small, all assistance is greatly appreciated.


The Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled presents certificates to graduates

Suchada Tupchai

At Building C of the Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled, Pattaya, Father Banjong Chaiyara, the director, recently presented certificates to 121 graduates for the year 2002. Managing board members, teachers and parents attended the certificate presentation ceremony.

A proud graduate proudly accepts the certificate of graduation from Father Banjong Chaiyara, director of the Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled Pattaya.

“In 15 years of operation, the Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled, Pattaya has produced more than 1,500 skilled workers that not only possess specialized proficiencies in many job fields but also the morality and endurance to be able to handle difficult times in different businesses,” said Duangdao Yothasri, head of general administration office of the school.

Recently, a United Nations officer impressively said that the school is obviously maintaining an international level and is qualified as one of the best vocational schools for the disabled in the world, and urged the school to also accept disabled students from neighboring countries, which the school now does. There were 4 foreign graduates this year, 2 were from Cambodia and the other 2 were from Laos. This year 65 students graduated with computer degrees and 56 students graduated with electronics degrees. Duangdao said all students deserve rewards after working so hard throughout the year.