News Article 2001 - Jesters Care For Kids Charity Drive - It's The Business

The 'business' in the sense that the Charity Drive in 2001 is being run more like a business and more efficiently than ever before. This as a result of three previous years experience and the success of raising 4.6 million Baht for the benefit of unfortunate children from impoverished and broken families, cared for and educated at the Fountain of Life Children's Center.

The Center in Soi Marina Pattaya is no longer a small room looking after just a few children. It is now, thanks to the efforts of the Jesters together with the sponsors and contributors to the annual Charity Drive, a fully equipped establishment, professionally run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd under the auspices of the newly registered Good Shepherd Foundation.

Successful charity drives rely on the voluntary hard work and generosity of individuals working as a team and collectively providing a comprehensive range of skills to enable the operation to be run as a business.

'Care for Kids' is proud to have such a team and, with three years experience in the bank, the opportunity to make 2001 the most successful Charity Drive yet.

Lewis 'Woody' Underwood as Chairman provides the driving force and, backed by the formidable Jesters Motorcycle Club members (the Harley Boys), who are always available when needed, we have a general and powerful workforce.

However, the expertise within the 'Care For Kids' Executive Committee is the key to agreeing the Charity Drive strategy and implementing the plan. It is never too early to start. So, in preparation for the Children's Fair on Sunday September 16th and the Pub Night at Shenanigans a week later on Saturday 22nd September, meetings began on February 20th to lay the foundation for 'Care for Kids' Charity Drive 2001.

Woody had taken over the Chair from Graham MacDonald (British Chamber of Commerce) who, nevertheless, is never far away and always available for valuable comment or advice.

Kim Fletcher (Shenanigans shy and retiring Landlord) was up for the Pub Night and saddled, too, with masterminding this year's Bike Ride with the awesome task of raising even more money than last year. For good measure, Shenanigans have taken a Platinum Sponsorship as well.

Workaholic Susie Ngamsuwam came on the scene as the 'Care4Kids' Web Mistress and has produced a superb and always up to date Web Page (to be found at www.care4kids.info. This new innovation for the Charity Drive 2001 covers everything about this year's campaign. Very graphic, easy to read and multi-linked. Take a short break from reading this week's Pattaya Mail and log-on. You won't be disappointed!

And, just consider the advantages the web page has given us. We judged the Fountain of Life Children's Painting Competition early this year and the paintings, with the winner, are up on the net. This means the 2001 Care For Kids 'T' Shirts, featuring the winning painting, will be available to buy very soon, and not just on the day of the Children's Fair. The 2001 Appeal letter (this year in Thai, German and French as well as English) is also on the web page with full details of this year's event and the opportunities for corporate and individual sponsorship. Available to download, too, are the advertising rates for the Children's Fair Souvenir Program.

The Program will also be on sale in advance of the Children's Fair. It will include a free starter ticket to the famous Children's Raffle, and is the entry ticket to the Fair. I am pleased to be running the Children's Raffle once again with Harry Riley.

Sponsored this year by the Jesters and supported with valuable prizes donated by individuals. The prize list will be impressive and starring a new giant teddy bear, 'Bertie the Biker', who will be made an honorary member of Jesters MC after a simple road test on Woody's shiny Harley Davidson.

The Children's Raffle Draw will be made earlier, during the middle of the Fair, to give as many

families as possible the chance to be present. Khun Neera with her team from Bangkok Pattaya Hospital will be on the Raffle stand again, and the Ambulance Unit will be on station for the Bike Ride and during the Fair.

My other involvement on the Committee this year has been to bring to the table some thirty five years experience in marketing and advertising to help prepare a Media & PR Strategy for the Drive.

The display material has been re-designed and rationalized as a Campaign covering the Children's Fair and Pub Night. Ably assisted here by Committee member and 'on the spot' media man Brendan Richards from Pattaya Mail. Print guru Neville Pick is also involved again and will be producing a more comprehensive Children's Fair Souvenir Program than last year due to an increase in the number of advertisers. Roaming Jesters are targeting potential advertisers and asking for support in the Program from local businesses and entertainment establishments.

If the Jesters have not visited you yet - then why not call on us by e-mail, care4kids@asia.com. Any information about advertising rates in the Program can be found on the web site at www.care4kids.info

We are grateful to Pattaya Mail and the Pattaya Mail TV Channel for running this series of Jesters' Care for Kids' articles, this being the fourth, together with the linked TV interviews by Dr. Iain Corness. In previous issues we have covered 'How the Jesters MC and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd came together' and 'The History of the Jesters 'Care for Kids' Charity Drives' , both by Woody. Kim then covered the Bike Ride with all you need to know to enter or sponsor; and last week Niel Poulsen, Managing Director of Platinum sponsor Chonburi/Siam Steel Mill Services, told us why he has come back to sponsor and support the Drive yet again. Niel, when available, also makes a valuable contribution to the Executive Committee meetings.

The Children's Fair program will also feature a plan of the Fair Site, this year at the lovely Siam Bayshore Resort, South Pattaya and ideal for the biggest Children's Fair yet.

Committee man Kevin (SEAL) Mitch from the Blue Parrot will be in command of the Fair so we are again guaranteed a briefing and organization on the day of military precision. Kevin will tell his own story to Pattaya Mail in due course. He alone has been made responsible for securing the highest quality hand-made Tug-of-War rope for this year's Tug.

Now, rounding up the sponsors and advertisers is no easy task. Considerable mailing help has been given by Committee man Chris Kays of Pattaya Panther notoriety.

Pledges for Program advertising need to be followed up and, to this end, there is no better sweeper than former PSC (Pattaya Sports Club) Charity Chairman, Harry Riley.

Jeff Paladeau quietly makes his presence felt at Committee meetings. He is very good at writing minutes (although not as funny as 'away' member Paul Baker), and is one of Woody's team of roaming Jesters on the trail of potential Program advertisers.

Alice Poulsen, with Woody, is liaison Committee Member with the Sisters Joan and Jiemjit at the Fountain of Life, and an original Committee and Founder member of the Jesters Charity Drive.

Jill (St. Andrews International School) Thomas also serves on the Committee and ensures good liaison with all the schools in the area as well as having great ideas for what novelty stalls might offer to visitors to the Fair.

Finally, it must be said that all the planning and hard work is of little point without the sponsors and advertisers and their support for the Children's Fair and Pub Night. A very important supporter of the 'Care for Kids' Charity Drive overall is the newly

re-fitted Tesco Lotus Supercenter on Sukhumvit, South Pattaya. For a second year the Store is donating the proceeds of the in-store Collection Box to the Fountain of Life. Last year the donation exceeded 240,000 Baht and we are most grateful to Tesco Lotus and their shoppers for the possibility of a similar sum being donated to the Fountain of Life this year.

Nothing more really to be said!

A great Team in place with the clear and determined objective of making the Jesters 'Care for Kids' Charity Drive 2001 the most successful for the children yet.