PILC founder showered with love and respect at 70th birthday party
Arlette
hugs dear friends Lela and Rita.
Happy
Birthday Arlette.
Sue K
One of the founding members of the Pattaya International
Ladies Club celebrated her 70th birthday March 8, another milestone in a
life of charitable achievements.
Arlette “Araya” Cykman, royally recognized for her
charity efforts with the PILC and an early proponent of the North Star
Library, toasted the occasion with friends at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort.
The celebration, sponsored by Chitra Chandrasiri, Rosanne Diamente and Judy
Hoppe, marked not only her 70 years, but the loss of 16.5 kg. in the past
half-year, an effort she used to raise another 240,000 baht for charity.
Born in Shanghai to a Russian aristocratic mother and
Armenian-Italian father, she arrived in Thailand in 1949 and her family
quickly became a significant contributor to business in the Kingdom.
From their introduction of the very first ice cream
parlor, “Dairy Bell” to dealing in bronze and Nielloware, they added Thai
silk to their products and built a weaving factory in Surin.
After schooling in the United States, Arlette returned to
Thailand to help her mother co-ordinate and design accessories for their
silk garment shop, the Star of Siam.
Arlette came to Pattaya in 1995 and became one of the
founding members of PILC and marked the start of her life’s work improving
the lives of the less-fortunate.
As one of the organizers of the first PILC Bazaars, she
started a raffle and gained sponsored. What began as a market of 30 booths
grew to a bazaar of more than 80 stalls. Together with the annual charity
ball, which she initiated, the bazaar continues to earn a considerable sum
of money for charities in and around Pattaya.
Arlette continued to donate her time, adding the Rotary
Club to her list of activities. In 2002, she received a plaque from the
mayor of Pattaya for her contributions.
One of those still stands on Sukhumvit Road: The North
Star Library. The facility was built through Arlette’s efforts on behalf of
orphans from the Father Ray Foundation to learn and a spot for all of
Pattaya to use.
Among her many talents, she is a fine embroiderer and
recently took up painting on t-shirts. Of course, proceeds from their sale
go toward charity.
With the passing of her last remaining relative, Arlette
retreated from the public eye to continue her charity work from home. But
being homebound, she gradually gained weight, which limited her mobility. So
she accepted a challenge to lose kilograms for charity.
With each kilogram she dropped, she received donations
from her friends for the library, PILC welfare projects and Women With a
Mission. She actually exceeded her 15 kg. goal.
Arlette has now pledged to herself and to her friends that even though
the challenge has formally ended, she will continue to lose weight on her
own.
Best
part of weight loss program - A Birthday Cake!
Arlette
chats with Sue of PMTV.
Khun
Panga presents Arlette with a bouquet of red roses.
Kathy
Heineke and the birthday girl.
Make a
wish, make a wish!.
Starry
eyed Arlette with Dinie and Ivy.
Arlette
with faithful friends Panga, Rosanne and Judy.
Judy
Hoppe expresses her love and admiration for Arlette.
A toast
to the birthday girl.
A
sumptuous birthday lunch by the Royal Cliff.
Arlette
thanking her friends for their support.
Group
photo is a must.
