CTM’s Christmas Charity Carnival 2016
IT just gets BETTER every year! We thought last year’s Christmas Carnival party was really our best ever with all that we had to offer in food and play… But This year’s #ChristmasCharityCarnival2016 really topped the charts! It was our biggest ever, with almost 100 kids/teens attending from FIVE different disadvantaged communities, along with almost 70 guests, volunteers , participating sponsors & their staff! We had orphans from the RANGSIT BABIES’ HOME, kids born in prisons from the HOUSE OF BLESSING, children from THE EMERGENCY HOME (shelter for victims of abuse, violence), the developmentally-challenged children from THE THANKSGIVING HOME & children from REVIVE MINISTRY’s asylum-seeker community.
It really was quite a collaborative effort with almost 30 individual & corporate sponsors who helped with everything needed — #BIGSTEPEVENTS with their awesome stage/lights/sound set up, The beautiful stage backdrop was especially created by IT expert graphic designer, ATIF MALIK. BOUYGUES-THAI supplying the electricians before and during the event to take care of massive electrical connections, #THAIPARTYRENTALS & #BEEKIDSPARTYORGANIZER for the Bouncy Castle, Giant Trampoline and the Dunk Tank which the children thoroughly enjoyed – there was something for everyone! And we really couldn’t have done it without the tables & chairs from U-RENT as well as the MOBILE TOILETS from VS SERVICE!! The wide variety of food we had came through the kind generosity of CHEF KAN BRIGHT SAN, PLAZA ATHENEE Bangkok, the MIRACLE GRAND HOTEL, OISHI group & MCTHAI. MALEE Enterprise and NESTLE PURE LIFE provided the orange juice, chocolate milk and water which was very appreciated.
This year, thanks to Khun Phuriwat and his wife, Khun Sirikan, we actually pulled off a fun PRE-event by collaborating with WATER WORLD, a mobile water-themed park set up near our center. The kids from the Emergency Home and the Revive Ministry asylum-seeker community enjoyed a splashin’ good time just a couple of hours before our mid-afternoon party. As we waited for everyone to arrive, we served the early-birds with yummy CREMO ice-cream from Chomthana, plus snacks from #TONGGARDEN and a contribution from the Laoamornkij family . Ms VIDYA, a Zumba instructor from Singapore, kicked off the Carnival with some energetic dancing exercises set to Christmas favorites, which definitely got everyone warmed up. Halfway through, we decided to throw in an extra element of fun by offering a lucky dip to any enthusiastic participant!
Now that got everyone shaking their hips & making the right moves! Those chosen closed their eyes & picked an item from our gift bag …and they were all happily surprised with the little knick-knacks from key chains, to little bags & hairbands..etc. After Zumba, the kids went on to enjoy the play equipment and many made a beeline for CYBERPARTYS’ Cotton Candy and Popcorn stand – it was great to see a nice orderly queue as many were all too happy to wait for the sweet delights. Others went on to have their faces painted by the team from the Thanksgiving Home and our guest, Ate Socorro. The Home also ran an art corner offering Tie-Dying. Khun WANCHAI, director of the Home, so graciously played BOZO, our clown balloon-twister who created swords, hats, flowers for the kids from the stock of balloons donated by BALLOON ART2GO.
After all this fun and games, everyone was ready to sit and be entertained – and in the tradition of our parties, the children provide their OWN entertainment as each Home dishes up their talents. The Rangsit Babies’ Home has traditionally performed outstanding dances, complete with costumes – and this year was no different with a beautiful Thai dance. This was followed by the House of Blessing with an impressive rendition of Christmas Songs in ENGLISH and a couple of songs in Thai. The Emergency Home was next with two performances – first a dance by their teen group and another, a simple Swedish folkdance taught by our volunteers, by the little kids from Baan Dek. Next was a performance by the children and teens of the Revive Ministry.
They sang ‘Mary Did You Know’ followed by a dance to a Pakistani Urdu song. Finally, the ever-talented kids and teens from the Thanksgiving Home gave us a fast paced, impressive magic show – which this year not only included a dove but a DUCK as well! Great fun! At the close of dinner, we had guest Robert Kawada draw everyone back to the stage area with his Cello performance of Christmas songs, accompanied by the kids from HOB who sang along to Jingle Bells. Stephen Horst, a talented singer and guitarist, then took the stage to perform several songs while we all waited to SANTA’s arrival….. SANTA (Bill) flew in all the way from Nong Khai for his special debut at our Carnival! He’s the real deal – with soft white long hair, a real beard , a real paunch and a real-deep tenor who can deliver Jingle Bells, Rudolf in a strong acapella! When there was a hush in the crowd, the audience suddenly turned to the back when they heard strains of Santa’s ever-famous “Ho, Ho, Ho ..Merry Christmas!“
After which he burst into “wailing” and greeting grannies and kids in Thai! On stage, he was a favorite as he handed out the gifts – most of which were designated . There were squeals of joy, when presents were unwrapped and girls found the Barbie dolls they always wanted, boys had robots or shoes they asked for and everyone was just thrilled that their Christmas wishes were fulfilled.
A Big THANK YOU here to the PYP families from KIS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL who selected a child from one of the communities, and undertook to fulfill his/her Christmas wish. Santa also drew the numbers for our Raffle and our guests walked away with some awesome prizes including a DINING Cruise on the LOY NAVA, DINING TICKETS for the RAINTREE CAFÉ in Royal Meridien’s PLAZA ATHENEE, as well as the ROOFTOP BAR/UZZIE’s Restaurant of U SUKHUMVIT BANGKOK. There were also lucky winners who will enjoy dining at THE GARAGE BURGER AND GRILL. We also had three winners who received accommodation vouchers for HEAVEN@4 HOTEL. Another great prize are the vouchers from ROCKIN’ JUMP which will have our winners bouncing away happily on the trampolines. Our appreciation also to McThai and Bkk Kids also contributed to the Raffle prizes! Being that this party outdid last year’s, we can’t wait to see the surprises that await us at the 2017 Carnival. This party was simply an incredible miracle, an outflowing of God’s goodness on His children! We appreciate how everyone was such a beautiful channel of Love, all working together to make this so memorable for each child!
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