As
with any inaugural event, there were some worried faces in the organising
group the night before the Jesters Children�s Fair and Family Day at the
Royal Cliff Beach Resort. Would all their work come to naught? Was Pattaya
ready to promote and accept �family� lifestyle values?
By Saturday lunchtime it was totally obvious that the event was a success, with over 1,500 paid adults in attendance by that stage, plus at least the same total of free entry children. The faces of the organising group were wreathed in smiles, and in a couple it was even stunned amazement. Had they really pulled this off? They certainly had!
Shortly after the opening time of 10 a.m. the first of the cyclists came perspiringly through the gates of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, having left the Camel Bar in Ban Chang just over one and a half hours previously. Even at that time there were over 200 people waiting to cheer Canadian Craig McMasters across the line.
As a family day out, the Fair supplied everything required of a village community gathering. There was a seemingly endless supply of activities for the kids, from face painting (and there were quite a few adults with painted visages too!) and hair braiding, computer games, fun machines from Ripleys Believe
It or Not, statue painting, a puppet show from St. Andrews International School, basketball competitions from the ISR, tennis displays put on by Sean and Joachim from the Royal Garden Spa and Fitness Club plus aerobics from the energetic Fitness Club staff.
The Tower Records Tug-o-War was just that - a well fought war with the hot favourites, the Universe Gym team, resplendent in red singlets, pulsating pectorals and bursting biceps going down to the rag tag and bobtail drinking team from the Hare House.
No
one went hungry at the Fair. The choice was stunning with Benni and Garry
from Sher-E-Punjab dispensing Indian delicacies, the boys from Benihana
Restaurant tossing salt shakers in the air, and even the Pieman, Hans
Teitze, sweating over the griddle at the Big Boy hamburger bar.
And speaking of bars, Robbo�s beer tent was obviously the place to find missing parents. Robbo, �daylighting� from his usual bar at Delaney�s, was ably assisted by staff from TQ and other helpers. The Neil Smith arranged, Carlsberg sponsored outlet did a roaring trade all day, with even the good Sister Joan from the Fountain of Life Charity being seen to have a small thirst quencher bought for her by Bjorn Richardson of the Royal Garden Resort (even if it were delicately placed inside a Pepsi container)!
At
the front gate, Mick Angel and Delaney�s Kim Fletcher sold T-shirts,
even getting the Pattaya Mail Channel�s resident doctor to strip on TV
to get into his. At the Raffle tent, Mike Franklin kept a fatherly eye on
the star prize �Darren�, the world�s biggest Teddy Bear, donated by
the hard working organiser, Darren Rose and his family, while selling
multiple books of raffle tickets. The raffle was drawn that afternoon with
�Darren� being won by Tracey Fletcher, who had to get Kim to help her
drag the bear off the stage.
The Fountain of Life sold hand made Xmas cards, done by the disadvantaged children themselves, while Prince and Som from the Pattaya Mail sold newspapers, with again all the proceeds going to the Fountain of Life Charity.
During
breaks in the activities, the East Coast Band entertained the crowd, while
GM of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Jean-Fernand Wasser strolled through
his grounds making sure everything was going according to plan. His
immaculate grounds stayed that way, with Peter Geister�s Tip Top
Cleaning Services donating the services of his girls for the day.
Platinum sponsor, Chonburi Siam Steel Mill Services were delighted with the events of the day and supremo, Niel Poulsen along with wife Alice was really beaming by the end of the day.
The
Fair raised in the vicinity of 600,000 Baht for the charity, including
over 200,000 Baht brought in by the bike riders. Everyone did their bit,
and it would be impossible to mention every stall holder individually -
but you did a fabulous job, all of you!
While the result is fantastic, the foresight of the
organisers that Pattaya was ready for this type of event should not be
overlooked. A community fair such as this strengthens our city�s
position in many ways. It shows that Pattaya really is a �fun� city.
It shows that Pattaya has �come of age�. It shows that collectively
the people of Pattaya have a 
social
conscience and can pull together as a community. The number of people who
put their efforts into this cannot all be recognised in this one article.
Suffice to say that they, represented by the organising committee of
Graham Macdonald, Woody Underwood and Kim Fletcher, have helped not only
the designated charity, but Pattaya itself improve its position in the
world.
We are all looking forward to next year�s Family Fair.
