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National Para-Games open with gala ceremony

Competitors repeat the oath of the Games.

Derek Franklin

From the province of Yala in the south to Chiang Rai in the north, and from Tak on the Burmese border to Mukdahan in the east, several thousand athletes arrived in Pattaya from more than forty provinces throughout the Kingdom to take part in the National Para-Games for People with Disabilities.

The Games flame lights up the stadium.

The opening ceremony commenced with dancers performing traditional routines, before the wheelchair dancers from the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities in Pattaya entertained the crowd.

As the name of each province was announced loud cheers were heard as each team of athletes entered the stadium. Chonburi, being the host province, had the largest number of athletes, whilst from the northern province of Loei only one athlete made the journey to Pattaya.

Sonthaya Kunplome, former Minister of Tourism & Sports, and Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome presided over the opening ceremony, and it was Sonthaya who carried the torch into the Indoor Stadium before passing it to one of the athletes who lit the flame to officially start the beginning of the Games.

Local favourites to win gold include Amnuay Wettwithan, current world champion wheelchair badminton player and gold medal winner at the recent Asian Para-Games which took place in Guangzhou, China late last year.

Sonthaya and Itthiphol Kunplome preside over the event.

Members of the Ranong team from southern Thailand.

Wheelchair dancers from Pattaya entertain the crowds.


A New Home - A New Life

Derek Franklin

A large crowd of supporters and friends arrived at the Father Ray Drop-In Center recently to be part of the official opening ceremony of the brand new Half Way House.

Danish singing legend Johnny Reimer visits the brand new Half Way House.

The aim of the Half Way House is to offer a home to teenagers who are almost ready to leave the care of the Father Ray Foundation and lead an independent life. Two young men, one fifteen and the other a year older, were the first to move in, and although the new Half Way House is just 100 meters from the Drop-In Center they will have to learn to live independently. Both boys are in vocational school, one training to be a cook, the other an electrician, and once they graduate and start work they will have to pay rent, clean the house, cook their own meals, wash their own clothes and agree to follow the rules of the house.

They can remain in the Half Way House until they are ready to leave, when they feel confident that they can cope with the outside world.

Construction and furnishing for the Half Way House were paid for by Danish support group ‘Den Dansk Pattaya Fond’, and many of its board members travelled over to Pattaya for the opening ceremony, including Danish singing legend Johnny Reimer, who was making his second visit to the Drop-In Center.

Mrs. Christina Obel plants a tree in front of the new Half Way House.

In 2010 Mr. Reimer planted a small tree so he was happy to see that the children have taken good care of it and it now stands almost three meters high.

Former Lady-in waiting to Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, Mrs. Ulla Obel, also attended the ceremony, as did all the Danish volunteers from the Father Ray Foundation.

During their short time in Pattaya, the board members from Denmark also visited the Father Ray Day Care Center, Children’s Home, Children’s Village and the Vocational School for People with Disabilities, seeing for themselves how the Father Ray Foundation cares for and educates its 850 children and students with disabilities.

Mrs. Ulla Obel with younger residents at the Drop-In Center.

Johnny Reimer, second left, inspects his tree with Father Peter, left, president of the Father Ray Foundation and Poul Weber, second right, Honorary Icelandic Consul.

The new Half Way House.


Jesters Care For Kids 2011: Your donations at work: Project Baan Amphur

(L to R) School Director Parichat, Amphur District Head Somchat, Woody Underwood, Erle Kershaw, Bernie Tuppin, Paul Strachan and Khun Bic.

Bernie Tuppin

Jesters Care for Kids was recently approached to assist at a local school facing accommodation difficulties. The school [Baan Amphur] is located midway between Pattaya and Sattahip and has 329 students. Recently one of the main buildings had to be demolished as it was badly infested with termites and considered unsafe for further use. This left the school with limited facilities and overcrowded classrooms.

The immediate need was for a small building to accommodate some 30 kindergarten children who did not have a dedicated area for tuition. Plans were drawn and quotes received to construct a small self-contained building to serve as a new kindergarten. This information was forwarded to the Herrod Foundation who has been generous supporters of Jesters Care for Kids since 2006. Their response was positive and enthusiastic, agreeing to supply most of the funds needed to carry out the construction of the building.

The work was carried out over a period of about ten weeks, a little longer than usual owing to the extended rainy season, but the finished building now houses some very excited children and some grateful teachers all happy in their new classroom.

At the time of the kindergarten construction, the school director, Khun Parichat, requested our help in repairing and improving an existing toilet block adjacent to our new building. So we agreed to add an ablution area on the west side of the toilets and a new urinal on the south side with a roof extension over it. We also installed an additional septic tank and gave the whole building a new coat of paint.

The total cost of the kindergarten was B520,000; and the toilets an additional B77,000.

The official opening took place at the school on Wednesday 26th January with the welcoming committee headed by Dr Supamit, vice director of education District 3 Chonburi, local government administrator Somchat, and school director, Parichat, who all spoke warmly of the Jesters’ generosity. The Jesters were represented by President Woody Underwood and committee members Paul Strachan, Erle Kershaw and Bernie Tuppin.

After a delightful dancing display by the kindergarten students, all in traditional costume, Woody was presented with a huge framed photo of the new building plus a plaque to officially thank the donors. The building was officially opened with the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony after which all the guests were treated to a very tasty lunch.

Jesters Care for Kids are committed to improving the well being of children and their schools in the locality; and this is just one more example of their efforts.

Of course none of this would be possible without the support of their many sponsors. On this occasion the Herrod Foundation were the principal contributors and deserve a huge thank you for their participation.

Amphur District Head Somchat (front left) and Bernie Tuppin (front right), with a little help from their friends and dignitaries, prepare to cut the ribbon to officially open the new kindergarten.

The new kindergarten prior to ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The youngsters perform a dance for the visiting luminaries.


Regent’s rides on

The Regent’s team greets a friendly resident at the end of their ride.

Amber and Mae, Year 10

On Friday, 14th January, ten members from the Regent’s School community prepared themselves for a weekend of a lifetime. It was the Bike for Elephants, a fund raising event organized by the ‘Bring the Elephant Home’ foundation, who aim to raise money for the care of rescued elephants and provide a safe and natural habitat for them to live in. This event took place in the northern cultural Province of Chiang Mai, where more than fifty cyclists gathered in order to contribute for this exciting event.

Our strenuous journey began early in the morning, where everyone could be found gearing up with high spirits. We greeted each other and took photos, before setting off for the first 50km ahead. In the beginning it was a fun and pleasant ride, our surroundings were filled with pleasing scenery and the kind locals loved to greet us with an occasional ‘Hello!’ and ‘How are you today?’ However, later in the afternoon, as we approached more hills, we were truly starting to tire out from the day’s workout.

“It was tiring, but a pleasant view,” claimed a biker, during a water break with the rest of the cyclists. “We have to follow the red signs they had set up for us, so that we don’t make a wrong turn.”

It was around 4 o’clock when we finally reached our destination. Who knew that beyond the hills and trees which littered the terrains of Chiang Mai, there would be a place as miraculous as Elephant Nature Park?

At the park we were welcomed and led to sit down or go feed the elephants out on the low cement balcony. The view was beautiful, light brown fields of dry grass with elephants roaming the wide, open land. A river streamed nearby, only some distance from a small city of tents. They were the beds for us that night.

We all listened to an inspirational talk by the founder of the park, before being given the opportunity to bathe the elephants in the nearby river. We went over safety rules before going down to splash the huge elephants with buckets of water. It was such a pleasant sight to see elephants behaving naturally as wild animals, and having the freedom to live a normal life, even though most of the elephants were still suffering from unimaginable abuse from their past. We were told the sad stories about these elephants, and learnt that there were many more, still suffering out there.

After dinner we met in the conference room inside the park, where we heard a little more about the founders, Lek and Antoinette. They were passionate and determined people, who told stories which reached out to us all. We then watched a short documentary about the park, which explained how the project started, along with providing some stories of how the elephants here were rescued.

It was hard to imagine the extent of animal abuse that these gentle giants experience, even though they are Thailand’s most precious and powerful animals. The documentary really showed us Lek’s and Antoinette’s passion for these elephants.

It was a cold morning the next day, but we all got up and got ready for the remaining 40km. Before leaving, however, it was agreed that we needed to get to know these elephants some more. Together we were brought out into the open fields, watching and taking pictures of the elephants. Antoinette and Lek told us of more stories, one elephant had stepped on a land mine and one had been rescued from greeting people in front of a hotel. The park volunteers walked and listened with us. They wore shining faces as they talked and clearly enjoyed their time at this harmonic land. In fact they enthusiastically recommended that I become a volunteer myself!

After being rejuvenated by the will to help these elephants, we set off into the hills to finish our ninety km trip. I believe the Regent’s participants were, by now, experts at gearing and keeping pace with the bicycle, since we and the bicycles all arrived in one piece. At the end of the day we came to a park with a picnic and barbecue all set up and ready to welcome us. The cyclists ate and chatted enjoyably, before visiting the waterfall to have a little splash or two. Unfortunately, the Regents team was the first to return to the airport, but I’m sure we were all tired out and ready for some rest back home.

Teams from countries around the world had gathered for this extreme event; we worked hard but we worked together. The Bike for Elephants was certainly a trip to remember, and we hope Elephant Nature Park will continue to strive for a happy and successful future. In the end the cyclists raised more than 402,000 baht for the elephants. It was a challenging experience, but overall an enjoyable, and life-changing ride.


HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]

National Para-Games open with gala ceremony

A New Home - A New Life

Jesters Care For Kids 2011: Your donations at work: Project Baan Amphur

Regent’s rides on

 

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