Regent’s International Day raises over 160,000 baht for major Round Square projects
Han Hee Lee
Pillar Leader for Internationalism, Year 13 IB student
On Saturday February 14, the Regent’s School hosted an extravaganza
celebrating Internationalism and Valentine’s Day. The event was planned in
advance for 4 months, by a small committee of Regent’s students, known as
the “International Team”.
On the day, 50 different nationalities were represented by the Regent’s
students, teachers and parents compared to last year’s 42 nationalities,
showing the increase in diversity at the Regent’s.
Jake
spices it up as Posh!
Classrooms were transformed from rooms into different countries with their
own distinct culture, and the idea of love and romance to celebrate
Valentine’s Day.
We had some special visitors on the day with children from the Fountain of
Life, the Camillian Centre, the Blind School, Baan Jing Jai and Mercy
Centre. They were all given free food and drink throughout the day kindly
sponsored by the Regent’s Secondary Student Guild and Pattaya Sports Club.
All the visitors had to say ‘I love you’ in the language of the country to
get their passports stamped. Also, the International Cafe sold delicious
foods from countries set up by the parents of the Regent’s School which was
extremely popular throughout the day.
During the morning a competitive World Cup football tournament was held,
battling for the World Cup trophy donated by IB students Boon and Chang.
Despite the effort of all the competitors, the trophy was won by England for
the 2nd year in a row.
Evelin
beautifully sings the Mexican national anthem.
The highlight of the day was the talent on the stage: this included the
music performances of talented IB students, the electrifying sound of Fifth
Dimension and the harmony of instruments and voice of the Soul Band. Many
thanks must go to the Regent’s music department.
The national performances in the afternoon started with a traditional Maori
welcome from New Zealand. Following this were songs performed by Mexico, the
Philippines and Australia, plus martial arts by China, Taiwan and Malaysia.
The whole school participated, including Primary students from Korea, Japan
and the Philippines who stepped up to sing or dance much to the delight of
parents and older students.
Thailand staged a demonstration of a traditional wedding combined with an
entertaining dance to Bird Thongchai’s ‘Oh La Nor my love’. We witnessed a
revival of the girl band ‘Spice Girls’ from England with some interesting
casts of the members. Eric Mathers and his friend kindly played the Scottish
bagpipes and India gave the Regent’s a taste of love from Bollywood with
their power packed performance and in return received the loudest applause.
Han
Hee presents another performance on the World Stage.
The performances ended with a Fashion Show of national costumes that were
even more beautiful and vibrant than Haute Couture catwalks is Paris.
For the finale, there was a Parade of Nations and all the flags of the 50
countries with the students, teachers and parents of each country following
the flags. A grand sight was created by the pathway of the colourful flags
where everyone walked through.
With the final thanks announced, the blue sky was decorated with heart
shaped balloons filled with our love and hopes for peace, unity and
happiness. It was an amazing day for all - organisers and visitors - the
committee is proud to have organised this event and would like to thank
everyone who attended and helped. Special thanks go out to the parents and
Thai support staff of the school.
All the money raised supports Regent’s Round Square major projects, e.g.
HIV/AIDS awareness, Mae Hong Son Hill tribe projects, Koh Phi Phi Tsunami
projects and Baan Subcharoen adopted school.
If you would like to know more about these projects please contact Paul
Crouch at [email protected]
The flag walkway in front of
the Regent’s clock tower.
Spain proudly participate in
the Parade of Nations.
Testing handicraft skills.
Fun and games during break
times throughout the day.
The International Cafe sold
delicious foods from countries set up by the parents of the Regent’s School,
which was extremely popular throughout the day.
Bouncy castles are always a
big hit with the younger crowd.
And the band plays on…
Former drug addicts look ahead
Graduates take an oath to
never do drugs again.
Patcharapol Panrak
Some 250 students from the Navy’s Wiwat Polamuang School who
have completed their drug rehabilitation course took an oath to stay
away from drugs at a sacramental water-drinking ceremony in Sattahip.
The former drug addicts all swore in front of a Prince Admiral Chumporn
Khetudomsak statue and their instructor deputy abbot of Thepprasart
Temple, Bunsong Chanthimo, who sprinkled holy water on the students for
good fortune before they went back to their families.
The students were shown the representation of a sharp sword, a gun and a
bomb on the statue to re-enforce the caution that should they return to
their addiction after swearing the parting oath, they could meet
violence and even death.
The school is taught by the Royal Thai Navy 2 at the training center at
Air and Coastal Defense Command in Sattahip.
Capt. Khomphan Upalanon, deputy director of Wiwat Polamuang School and
deputy commander of the Training Center, chaired the ceremony to “send
back good citizens to society” on February 24.
The students had completed 120 days of rehabilitation from drug
addiction according to the provisions of the Drug Rehabilitation Act of
2002.
The rehabilitation focused on the students’ discipline, physical health,
reception of knowledge, understanding, skills and ability to change to
better behavior and attitude.
School officials hope that the training, including the teaching of
Buddhist outlook, will lead to their resisting all types of drugs. When
returning to society the students can again correctly conduct themselves
to find happiness without depending on drugs.
Capt. Komsan Upalanon, deputy director of Wiwat Polamuang School, said
that the students who had progressed through the rehabilitation of
physical health and spirit had overcome their battle with drugs and had
learned important lessons in life that could also be learned by everyone
else.
“Society has given you an opportunity to start a new life with the
knowledge, skills and a new approach to life received from this school.
This should be applied to benefit your life, families and society,” he
said.
Jesters Care For Kids Charity Drive 2009:
This is how you cared in 2008
Lewis Underwood
For the last 3 years, we have produced a brochure telling
where your donations are going. We feel this is important not only for
our transparency, but also so that you see what projects we are
supporting.
Girl
at School for the Blind.
It is also essential that you see how much of your donations go to needy
kids. As we are a committee of volunteers, there is no administrative
cost deducted from your contributions, and presently over 97% of monies
raised last year has been distributed.
The only reason this percentage is not higher is due to printing over
costs that were not recouped from event t-shirt or raffle ticket sales.
Yet, by April, when the rest of the funds from last year have been
distributed, we expect that ultimately 98.54% of your aid will have been
passed on to organizations helping to make life better for deprived
kids.
With your ongoing help, we will continue to pass on as close to 100% of
your donations as possible.
For more information about last year and this year’s current charity
drive, please visit our website,
www.care4kids.info
Jesters Charity Drive 2008
Due to your generous support in 2008, we raised 8,465,080
baht in both cash and kind for needy children’s charities on the Eastern
Seaboard and tsunami orphans in the south.
Of the figure above, 8,005,080 baht was received in cash, and as of
March 1, 2009, 7,774,205 baht, or over 97% had been distributed to the
following beneficiaries.
We could not have done it without YOU!
Our Target Charity
The Fountain of Life Center (4,093,387 baht) in North
Pattaya under the auspices of the Good Shepherd Foundation has been our
main beneficiary for the last 12 years. The Center provides kids with
documentation, life orientation, meaningful activities, meals, medical
and dental care, and ultimately, scholarships for entering government
schools.
Scholarships
The Next Step Program provides special scholarships to
children and young adults in order to pursue higher levels of education
including university.
1. Nai Em graduates on March 24th with an engineering degree from
Technology Rachamongkul Thanyaburi University in Pathom Thani province.
His scholarship has been covered through funds given to the Fountain of
Life Center (FOL).
2. Hua Koon Jae Boarding School in Ban Bueng, Chonburi; we
continue to support 10 children with scholarships at both the primary
and secondary levels through funds provided to FOL.
3. Nong Eckalot, now 14 years old, in his last year of a 5-year
scholarship provided by Unilever back in 2005 under the auspices of the
Sriphong Khaoluan Foundation in Krabi. We intend to continue our support
through college.
4. Nai Pichit (10,000 baht) is a 17-year old currently
enrolled in the 2nd year of a 3-year program at Banglamung Vocational
School.
Schools
1. Ban Klongbangpai (776,600 baht) is a primary
school across from Utapao Airport with 163 students and 10 teachers. In
a joint venture with the Herrod Foundation of Switzerland we built new
classrooms for their kindergarten kids as well as provided desks,
chairs, lockers and playground equipment.
2. Nong Prue School (228,500 baht) in the sub-district of
the same name on Rt. 3240 before the reservoir, we built a canteen for
them in a joint venture with Pattaya Sports Club (PSC).
3. Sukree Banyanram School (210,000 baht): In another
joint venture with PSC, we provided 2 blocks of toilets for staff and
students at this temple school in the Laem Chabang area.
4. Happiness Camp (92,800 baht): organized by the Matura
Human Society and City Hall for government school students and teachers;
these are sessions focusing on improving communication skills,
self-expression and confidence. Our latest backing for this organization
was a 3-day training session for teachers from Pattaya School No. 9.
5. Khoa Huaymahad (53,230 baht) is a nursery/primary school in
Ban Chang with 145 kids that badly needed additional toilets. This was
the last payment for the construction of 10 additional toilets.
6. Dek Dee Early Learning Center (50,000 baht): is a new care
center aimed at helping needy pre-school kindergarten children in the
Ban Chang while their parents try to eke out a living during the day.
This is a joint project with the Pattaya International Ladies Club
(PILC) to provide start up monies.
7. Ban Pansadetnak (8500 baht), a primary school located between
the Pin Thong and Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estates; after augmenting
their water system earlier last year, we finished up with the purchase
of 2 goal cages for the school’s football field.
Special Schools
1. Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind (280,000
baht) in Naklua is one of our mainstay beneficiaries and this year
we continued to provide protein supplements for the students’ diet in
addition to extensively renovating their water system.
2. Sunganseuksa Piset (100,000 baht) in Ban Bueng, Chonburi, is a
day care center for autistic, mentally impaired and/or sensory deprived
children. We matched Joe and Oiy St. Laurent’s annual 50,000 baht
donation so that the center can complete their Multi-Sensory Integration
Therapy Room.
Shelters
1. Camillian Social Center (827,427 baht) is in Huay
Pong, Rayong, and a relief center for HIV/AIDS people. In a joint
venture with the Canadian Jackalope Open we have sponsored two disabled
HIV-infected children, including special care, rehabilitation and
medicine for the year. Twenty percent of the above total went to the
provision of soy bean milk for all the resident children.
2. Ban Jing Jai (440,464 baht) a small orphanage in Nong Prue,
now with 55 kids. We have extended our commitment to them by covering
their monthly food and utilities’ cost.
3. Children Protection Development Center (31,500 baht): a
shelter for street kids near the Elephant Kraal, Nong Prue, between the
ages of 12 and 18, also provides them with life skills and vocational
training; we provided tables, chairs, fans, and bedding.
4. PILC Chonburi Handicap Projects (153,000 baht) aimed at
assisting the disabled in villages of Chonburi province. We are
constructing a new house for family of girl (Pui) with excess fluid in
her brain; a ramp for another girl (Supanee) in a wheelchair to get in
and out of her house; and scholarship for a mentally impaired boy (Bot)
as well as modifications to his home.
5. Chonburi Hospital Children’s Ward (200,000 baht): In a joint
venture with the Nagas MC, we matched their Platinum sponsorship for the
purchase of infant incubators and defibrillators.
6. Children of inmates in Central Rayong Prison (50,000 baht): we
provided scholarships for 50 children to go to primary and secondary
schools in the area.
Special Cases
1. Nong Urn and her family (51,087 baht): 7-year-old
Urn is suffering from congenital liver problems; we provided more
hygienic living situation to help her battle irritable skin conditions
due to her ailment.
2. Nong Namphon (14,200 baht): 14-year-old girl suffered from
leukemia since young, was a resident at the Mercy Mission and attended
the Fountain of Life Center. Despite chemotherapy and radiation she
succumbed to her illness last year. We helped cover her funeral
services.
Shirts (103,510 baht)
Promo and event T-shirts were donated at cost to kids from
the Fountain of Life Center, Ban Jing Jai, Camillian Social Center,
Child Protection and Development Center, Redemptorist School for Street
Kids and Mercy Mission.
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