Khun Sopin Thappajug

It was the biggest and best Jesters 'Care for Kids' Children's Fair yet, and the Diana Garden Lodge & Driving Range, North Pattaya proved to be the perfect location. Sunday 15th September was the big day, and what a day it was! The Charity Bike ride set off at 8.00am while the many stallholders were setting up, then at 10.00am Jesters Charity Drive Chairman, Lewis 'Woody' Underwood, gave an opening speech before Khun Sopin Thappajug, Executive Director of the Diana Group, cut the ribbon to start the Fair.

The 70 strong Marching Band from Pattaya School 8 gave a spectacular performance that started a very full program of entertainment by children from local schools announced by emcees for the day, Andy Francis and Neil Smith.

First up were the young children from the Fountain of Life Children's Center with some traditional dancing. Nareethip School then gave a varied performance of Ballet, Jazz Dance and a demonstration of Tae Kwon Do.

Muay Thai boxing followed that, and then a cultural show by the Satit Udomseuksa Academy. The Peter Faraday magic show was next, followed by individual singers from Best School. More martial Arts from ISS Promotions, and a very apt finale by the talented singers from the Redemptorist School for the Blind.

Live music followed until it was time for the one-hour session of Children's games organized by Steve Martin. Then more live music from versatile Declan to lead us up to the Raffle Draw.

In all there were nearly fifty stalls to visit for games, interesting things to buy, with over a dozen stalls offering a wide variety of International and Thai food and drinks. All the beer was donated to Jesters Neil's Charity Beer Stall that reportedly had a record day. This was no doubt helped by the 'Cool Zone' external misty air-con operating in the Beer Garden - a welcome retreat given that it was a fine day, and a very hot one, too.

The Children's Raffle stall kept busy all day and achieved a record sum of just over 100,000 baht thanks to the untiring efforts of Bernie Tuppin, Ray Byrne, Khun Neera, Neil, and staff from the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, with 'Scar', Jon and a few more of the Jesters out and about to make random sales.

Just prior to the Children's Raffle Draw at 3.00 pm on the main stage, the winner of the Fountain of Life painting competition, eleven year old Mot, was presented with a beautiful bicycle kindly donated by Pattaya Trader. The winning painting featured as usual on the front of this year's "Care for Kids' T-Shirt. The final entries in this year's Children's Painting Competition, and the winning painting can be seen on our web page at www.care4kids.info, together with a full report about the Children's Fair and Bike Ride, lots of photos and all rapidly in place thanks to Susie, our web mistress (click here for JCD2002 links page).

Barnie the Biker winner John "Mr. Sheen" Hannon

'Barnie the Biker' -Giant Bear featured as the star prize in the Children's Raffle, won this year by John Hannon "Mr. Sheen". Other winners of the many raffle prizes on offer were:
Child's Bike - James Campbell
Daewoo VCD/Karaoke/MP3 Player - James Crow
Space II Dome Tent & Wet Set - Samneang Josef
Winnie the Pooh Pool & Wet Set - Neil Maniquiz
Junior Snooker Table - Cees Peperkamp
Army Force Super Truck - Ruan Schanzer
Racing Sports Car - Elliot Rowe
Dream Boat - General Motors
Aiko Fun Learner Computer - Khun Ratanaporn
Aconite Stereo Radio Cassette Recorder & CD Player - Setsuko
Dumper Truck - Emma Johannson
Kiddies Golf Set - Ann Sitiwong
Casio Keyboard - Allan Pierce
Lego 'Creator' Set - John Langan
Tomy Train Set - Khun Worowan
Wireless Microphone & Receiver - Jason Kerr
Hatari 'Power Wind' Air Circulator - Khun Ma'am
Samsung Fino 800 Zoom Camera - Mrs. McNally
Harley Rocking Horse - James Crow
14" Color TV - Garret Farley
Harry Potter Book - Gina Levi

With the raffle draw over, it was time for the Tug-of-War and the familiar show of strength by the two competing teams. For the Café Kronborg it was poetry in motion as their size, bulk, and near graceful technique saw off the Pattaya Panthers two-nil in the 'best of three' to become, once again, the winners. Surprisingly Jesters Kevin, who set the Fair up over Saturday and Sunday, still had the energy to join the Tug and pull for the Kronborg. Kevin being only average size compared with others in the team!

Great live music followed to see the day out until 6.0 pm with Rick & Harpic and Pop's All Stars and, as if that isn't great enough, who should turn up for a half-hour set on stage but Ad and Lek Carabao with Lam Morrison. Fantastic surprise music, but not before Ad and Lek had given a lengthy photo-call for the many children and ladies eager to be photographed with them, my family included.

It was a great ending to a great day in the ideal setting of the Diana Garden Lodge & Driving Range thanks to the charitable gesture by the Diana Group.

Just one more big event to go to complete this year's Jesters Charity Drive - The Pub Night at Shenanigans this Saturday, September 21st starting at 6.0 pm, featuring the Grand Raffle and Auction. An event not to be missed.

Finally, a reminder that all proceeds from the Bike Ride, Children's Fair and Pub Night go to the Jesters Charity Drive Fund in aid of the Fountain of Life Children's Center, the Redemptorist School for the Blind in Naklua, and the Eastern Child Welfare Protection Institute, Huay Pong.