Our Children
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Sikh youths take part in the holy ritual of receiving the “Dastaar”

Leaders of tomorrow receive civics lesson from mayor

PSC helps Father Ray Children’s Village keep growing

How you have helped us Care for Kids over the last 12 years

6th Memorial of Fr Ray Brennan planned for August 1

Sikh youths take part in the holy ritual of receiving the “Dastaar”

Namrata Kornchavalakul
The Sikh turban, in Punjabi, is known as “Dastaar”. It is an article of faith that as been made mandatory by the founders of Sikhism. Sikhs wear turbans as symbols and reminders of their core values: Discipline, Honesty, Integrity, Ethics, Spirituality and Humility. Apart from just being an important symbol, the turban is now part of the dress code of a Sikh.

(L to R) Amanat Singh has his turban tied by Sant Baba Ram Singh Ji.
When a Sikh man wears a turban, it ceases to be just a piece of cloth and becomes one and the same with the Sikh’s head.
The turban has been an integral part of the Sikh tradition since the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Historical accounts relay to us that all Sikh Gurus wore turbans and their followers, the Sikhs, have been wearing them since the formation of the faith.
The turban serves as a mark of commitment to the Sikh Gurus. It distinguishes a Sikh as an instrument of the Guru and decrees accountability for certain spiritual and temporal duties. It is a mark of the Guru and declares that the Sikh wearing a turban is a servant of the Divine Presence.

(L to R) Rajbir Singh also has his turban tied by Sant Baba Ram Singh Ji.
Sikhs around the world have fought many times for their rights, allowing them to wear a Turban.
In Thailand, as well, Sikhs are allowed to wear their turbans while servicing the army. A Sikh can drive a motorbike while wearing his turban and need not substitute it with a helmet. A turban for a Sikh is not merely a piece of cloth that covers the head, but it is an important symbol of the religion, which forms the integral part of the Sikh way of life and has a spiritual meaning to each one.
In many families, when a boy reaches a certain age (usually eleven to sixteen), he is taken to a Gurudwaras and there, in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib and following Ardas, his first turban is ceremonially tied on by the Granthi or by a Sikh elder. This ceremony designates the respect with which the turban is regarded. The Turban is such a crucial article of faith that many Sikhs consider it to be more important that all the other Ks. Turbans may be of any color, and is tied in many different ways and styles. The turbans are usually tied every morning.
Normally older people tend to wear white turbans thus reflecting their acquired wisdom. Saffron and deep blue are the colors of battle. In modern society, the color of the turban is irrelevant. (Courtesy Thai Sikh Organization)
The Sikh community in Pattaya visited the local Sikh temple to bless and share the blissful moment of Amanat Singh, 15, and Rajbir Singh, 11 - the sons of S. Gurcharanjit Singh of Today’s Fashion - having their turbans tied. The youths were very happy to reach the right age where they can take responsibility for wearing the turban and continue with family traditions. It was a proud moment for them and their family.

At the Sikh temple in Pattaya, (front row, left to right) Amrit Singh Kalra
and Sant Baba Ram Singh Ji. bestow blessings upon Amanat Singh
and Rajbir Singh, sons of S. Gurcharanjit Singh of Today’s Fashion.


Leaders of tomorrow receive civics lesson from mayor

Vimolrat Singnikorn
Thailand’s potential leaders of tomorrow received some lessons in citizenship from the leaders of today during last week’s Pattaya Youth Leader seminar.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome opens the 4th Pattaya Youth Leader seminar.
Student council members from the city’s 11 schools met with Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, military leaders and other officials at city hall July 17-19 to learn about democracy and civic leadership.
Lectures included topics such as HM the King’s sufficiency-economy philosophy, respect for the environment and democratic principles. The workshop also prepared the 184 attendees to participate in upcoming activities, such as Global Warming Day and No Smoking Day.
If they wish to continue on their current path, Itthiphol said, the students must become leaders “in ideology, attitude and personality. Doing so will make you a good Thai citizen and help Pattaya grow.”
Lecturers from the Amphibious Assault Battalion Sattahip’s Royal Marine Corps Command stressed that leadership goes beyond politics. True leaders, they told the students, respect peoples’ rights, freedom and the equality.

Pattaya student council leaders participate in the leadership workshop.


PSC helps Father Ray Children’s Village keep growing

Father Patin and Herbie Ishinaga cut the ribbon to officially open the new sala.

Pramote Channgam and Thomas Cotton
Abandoned children taken in at Father Ray Children’s Village now have a new place to exercise, study languages and attend special functions thanks to the Pattaya Sports Club, which donated a 270,000 baht multi-use building to the growing facility.
PSC president Herbie Ishinaga, charity chairman William Macey and golf chairman Perry McNeely, representing the Pattaya Sports Club, presented the new facility to Father Ray Foundation director Lawrence Patin July 18.
Mike Lancaster, development director, and Oon, directress of the Village, greeted the benevolent group from PSC.
Patin said the facility, named after its founder, the late Father Ray, will be used for children’s meetings, sharing activities, language classes, indoor learning, exercise and other activities.
The funds for its construction were arranged through the PSC-sponsored 2009 “Charity Classic”, a golf tournament which was held at Phoenix Country Club on March 20.
The Father Ray Village opened in September as a haven for orphaned, abandoned and runaway children. Four children’s homes have already been built with plans calling for the construction of 5 more this year and 20 houses overall. Each house is staffed by a “mother” and “auntie” who care for the kids. For many youngsters, it’s the first time they’ve been part of a family with parents, brothers and sisters.
Village children showed their appreciation for the donation by putting on a show for the sports club and all the attendees shared lunch.
As well as sponsoring amateur sports, the PSC is active in supporting local charities.
More about the Father Ray Foundation may be found at http://www.fr-ray.org/

The cast, crew and benefactors pose for a commemorative photo.


How you have helped us Care for Kids over the last 12 years

Lewis Underwood
As the finishing point of our first 12-year cycle of caring for needy kids comes into sight in September, we thought you might be interested in knowing how we got started and arrived at this juncture.

Some of the kids being helped by the Jesters’ Care for Kids charity drive.

The Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drives began in 1998 after Alice and Niel Poulsen met up with a few of the members from Jesters MC Thailand to talk about the Fountain of Life Center, their work with needy kids and the help they sought. A gathering ensued at Delaney’s (now the More Bar) with Kim Fletcher and friends and the seed to start a charity drive was sown.
The result was a quickly put together effort consisting of one Platinum Sponsor (100,000 baht) by Chonburi Siam Steel Mill Services, a Pub Night of raffles, auctions and music, a sponsored push bike ride and all for one beneficiary, the Fountain of Life Center. It took place in early September at Delaney’s and we raised 1 million baht, ultimately by reaching into our pockets the day after the event to attain that exact total.
In 1999, we decided to add another event, the Jesters Children’s Fair, to go along with our Pub Night. The venue for the Fair was at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel.
One of the highlights of the Fair was the tug-of-war when the unfit Haven’s Heavy Haulers beat the muscle-bound, Universe Gym team. We raised 1.4 million baht.
In 2000, both of our events were held at the Amari Orchid Hotel in North Pattaya. The Fair was held in the lower gardens across from the beach (before all the construction) and the Pub Night at Henry J. Bean’s. The governor of Chonburi attended the Fair and soon after the Fountain of Life Center finally obtained its official status as the Good Shepherd Foundation. In this year, we raised 2.2 million baht.
In 2001, we moved the Fair to the Siam Bayshore Hotel in South Pattaya and our Pub Night back to Shenanigan’s (formerly Delaney’s). Shenanigans also became a Platinum Sponsor, which along with Chonburi Siam Steel Mill Services, was the first time we had more than one Platinum Sponsor.
Erik Sorensen was a huge help this year when he alone raised over 253,000 baht for the Sponsored Push Bike Ride.
This was also the year our website was initiated by Susie Ngamsuwan. We kicked off our Pub Night with Chris Kays and the Pattaya Panthers holding their ‘slave auction’ to get the festivities rolling. We raised 2.65 million.
The next year, 2002, we finally found a home for our Children’s Fair, when Khun Noi from the Diana Group offered us the spacious grounds of their Diana Garden Resort and Driving Range. Chonburi Siam Steel Mill Services was our Platinum Sponsor for the 5th consecutive year. We now had 7 Platinum Sponsors this year and raised 3.3 million baht.
In 2003, we had 11 Platinum Sponsors plus a half-million baht from our fledgling Pledge Program, which accommodated those wishing to make monthly donations. Our Fair also grew to include 72 stalls. The auction on Pub Night, headlined by Beckham signed jerseys and footballs, garnered close to 500,000 baht. The end result was 4 million baht raised that was distributed among our then 3 beneficiaries, the Fountain of Life Center, the Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind and the Eastern Child Welfare Protection Institute in Huay Pong.
In 2004, we went higher still with 17 Platinum Sponsors, our biggest Fair ever (over 80 stalls) and the most successful Pub Night. The latter was highlighted by the auctioning of an All-Blacks signed jersey by the team for 110,000 baht. Erik and Robert also raised a remarkable 504,000 baht by riding their push bikes from Chantaburi to Pattaya in just under 12 hours! We were able to raise just over 5 million baht as a result.
In 2005 the hits just kept on coming when 20 Platinum Sponsors came forward. Our Pub Night generated almost 1.5 million baht through grand raffle ticket book sales, auction item bidding and sponsorship for Graham dressing up like a fairy princess for the evening. The top auction item was Michael Schumacher’s signed photo which went for 150,000 baht. The result was 5.5 million baht that we distributed now amongst 10 beneficiaries.
In 2006 we kept the streak alive of continuing to beat the previous year’s totals of money raised when we exceeded the 6 million baht barrier. Twenty-three Platinum Sponsors joined us and combined with the other levels of sponsorship contributed over 4.25 million of the 6,001,013 baht ultimately raised. Top auction items were Siam Country Golf Club Family membership (135K) and George Best signed shirt (100K).
In 2007 we had our first Diamond Sponsor (400,000 baht), courtesy of Steve J. Lake, accompanied by 28 Platinum Sponsors. We ended up with record 6.12 million baht in sponsorship alone. Robert and Erik raised over 750,000 baht (also a new high) from their sponsored pushbike ride from Trat to Pattaya or 276 km in 12 hours. We had a final tally of 7.15 million baht in both cash and kind.
Last year in 2008, just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, it went over the top again. Not only did 4 Diamond Sponsors come forward, but also a total of nearly 7 million baht in sponsorship alone, resulting in nearly 8.37 million baht!
Grammy Entertainment supplied popular B.O.Y. teen band to headline our stage entertainment at the Fair.
For 11 years of caring for kids, your magnanimity has provided 42.57 million baht for at least 39 different beneficiaries focused on giving needy children safe shelter, education and opportunities for a better future.
This year, 2009, the beat goes on. And despite the global economic downturn, people are still finding ways to help us help the poor children. We do not expect to break any records this year, but then that has never been our goal. Instead, we have always set out to be positive while doing the best we can. Without YOU none of this would have been possible!
If you have not joined in yet, please visit our website at www.care4kids.info.
We hope you come see us and many of the kids you are helping at our Children’s Fair, on Sunday, September 13th at the Diana Garden Resort and Driving Range.


6th Memorial of Fr Ray Brennan planned for August 1

Fr. Michael Weera Phangrak, Director
Starting from 2009, the Pattaya Orphanage and Sotpattana School for Deaf Children hope to make the Memorial Day of Father Raymond A. Brennan, CSsR an annual Open House program on the first Saturday of August, giving joy to the children, the centre of Fr. Ray’s heart.

On the occasion of the Sixth Memorial Day, we propose “Cherishing Fr. Ray’s Vision” as the theme of the day for Saturday, August 1, 2009. The objectives of the day programme include the following:
1) To promote the uplifting of morale and inspiration of the children and staff personnel of charity organizations, as well as the participants of the children’s fair, as we cherish the vision of Fr. Ray Brennan.
2) To express deep gratitude towards Fr. Ray Brennan on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of his departure.
3) To strengthen good relationships and collaboration among charity organizations.
On behalf of the children and staff personnel of the Pattaya Orphanage and the School for Deaf Children, I, therefore cordially invite you, your family and your colleagues to join the orphaned and deaf children, as well as the many invited guests, to the “Cherishing Fr. Ray’s Vision” program at the Pattaya Orphanage, on Saturday, August 1, from 15:00 hours onward. The schedule is as follows:
15:00 - 18:00 hrs. Fun fair / snack and beverages (served throughout the afternoon).
18:00 - 20:00 hrs. Opening ceremony, laying of flowers at Fr. Ray’s monument / dinner / stage performances of children and music band.
Your presence will certainly bring a great and lasting joy to the children and all of us. While looking forward to the pleasure of welcoming you, we keep you and yours in our prayers of thanksgiving.