Forum members fundraising dinner

Hello all.

I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who want to help Thai people while they are here. Thank you very much for your support.

As mentioned previously in a post about orphanages, I have been looking at ways to provide visitors to Phuket, and forum members in particular, with opportunities to contribute to the community. The english for kids program I am dealing with separately. I believe that such programs will significantly enhance the experience for visitors to Phuket.

I and a few other local people, and forum members, have been meeting to discuss the possibility of a forum get together and fundraising dinner.

The purpose of this is to provide a friendly venue, where forum members can meet each other, and spend a pleasant evening socialising. The bonus will be that a percentage of proceeds from the event will go towards a local charity. Such charities may include day care and orphanages, a project for women and children living with aids, special schools for children with disabilities....the list of worthy causes goes on.

It is normal practice in this part of the world for anyone bringing business to an establishment to receive a commission for bringing that business. We will simply be diverting that commision to a worthy cause.

We are considering a venue that has beach access, outdoor entertainment venue, a pool for the kids within very close proximity, live music and maybe a buffet dinner. Sadly the live music will not be me singing a selected range of pirate songs and old sea shanty%26#39;s. I have been outvoted.

We are thinking that while the focus of such an event needs to be on having fun, that we could also invite along representatives of the recipient organisations to give a brief informal talk on the work that they do, and answer any questions forum members may have.

We would ensure strict accountability for any funds raised, and a report will be provided to forum members concerning funds raised and how they are spent.

Sounds like another good reason to party to me.

Before we take this any further we need your advice.

Can forum members please advise us, either here or by pm, of the following:

Would you be interested in such an event?

What would you like to see as regards to the venue...pool, family friendly or adults only, music?

Venue location?

Type of meal? Buffet, a la carte, other?

How much would you be prepared to spend?

How often, weekly?

What night? We are thinking of a Sunday night.

Any other ideas?

I look forward to hearing from you. I believe that this event will make everyone%26#39;s visit to Phuket a lot more meaningful.

Bye,

Mark.

Forum members fundraising dinner

Mark

Your bloods worth bottling.

Count me in, I am very interested and lm sure all the other forum members would be. This will be a very worthy cause that Im sure forum members will agree to.

Location doesnt matter too much but Karon being in the middle would be good.

I think enough people come over to make it weekly and a sunday would also be okay.

I also think family friendly sounds good as most members travel with children and a pool also sounds good.

I dont think a lot of members knew about the kick backs given to people who take people to restaurants, good to see that you will be putting the money to good use.

Im dont think l will be over until November but l will be there for sure

Murf

Forum members fundraising dinner

Hi Mark,

this is a great idea as many people do like to help others but do have an issue with so much % of donations wasted or spent on admin costs.

I think that if a night was orgainised where there were represenatives of the charities being helped would and you were given info on how/what needs to be done then it would be more sucessful. I also believe that if it was kept low key as in ';no pressure'; then most people would donate extra money to help.

There have been many occasions where I would have been very happy to leave tips for services/guides etc but was contantly pressured into giving one that I didn%26#39;t.

A family atmosphere with a pool for kids would be great as yes a lot of people do travel with kids and also it might give the older ones an insight on how others live and how lucky they are.

As for location, as long as it is central to most places and has easy access - it should work. Food wise, a buffet sounds good - a mixture of Thai/Western should cover everybodies taste.

Good luck with this venture - I wish you all sucess

regards

Karin

If the dinner wasn%26#39;t in Patong or one of the high tourist volume areas, then I think transportation would need to be arranged for pre-booked attendees from a central pick-up spot or two, perhaps?

Maybe we should get people to nominate certain venues they think might be suitable for the get-togethers. I like Friendship Beach at Rawai, as it has a very family friendly atmosphere, whilst not being overcrowded with children. There is a pool, it%26#39;s on the beach, where you can watch the sunsets if you get there early enough, they have the best bbq ribs in Phuket, prices are reasonable there is Thai and Western food on the menu, staff are very warm and friendly and there%26#39;s live entertainment.

We also need to find some locations closer to Patong, though, I guess. We could even look at holding the nights at alternating venues, so people get to try a couple of places, as well as sharing the business around. I guess at the end of the day, it depends on which venue is prepared to return the most money to the charities.

Hi Mark,

Great idea count us in as we are keen to be able to do something. We are over in late Sept 08 and Oct 09 so if maybe you and some ex pats or frequent travels can work out the basics we are happy to attend.

I think if the price for the dinner is worked out based on an Aussie pub meal of say $20.00 AUD per head i am sure it would be a significant contribution to the fund. I would also be surprised if people would be unhappy to part with that amount.

Or, why not set a minimum price that covers costs plus a little and allow people to contribute how ever much they like to the dinner, this allows people to give as much as they are able or as much as they like as contributing to a charity is such a personal thing.

If you need any help Mark e-mail me.

Cheers, Pete %26amp; Jane

Yeah count me in sounds great. I think weekly would be good and kid friendly buffet sounds great . I%26#39;m sure people wouldnt mind getting a tuktuk to the venue . On the beach even with games maybe late afternoon.

Good on you mark keep us informed we will be there in april .

Teresa=)

Even the thought of you singing Mark is pretty scary :))

Sunday night is a great idea so that it wont coincide with the Friday BBQ%26#39;s. Friendship Beach has the perfect setting and it would be nice if the Band (members from The Groove Doctors)who plays there on Fridays could swap to Sundays instead.

Otherwise Murpho%26#39;s idea of it being in Karon is also good as it is more central (closer for the tuk tuks and taxis). What about approaching TA Member Uncle Eric from the Pacific Spa Resort in Karon? His restaurants are well known for excellent food.

Regards

Chantal

As we will unfortunately miss the inaugural evening of the TA Fundraising Event , we would like to pledge a $100AU donation to kickstart the evening 鈥?on the condition evidence be supplied of our illustrious Captain singing a pirates鈥?rendition of 鈥榃hat shall we do with the Drunken Sailor!鈥?/p>

We fully support a family friendly event and buffet-style food wise would be my pick. Swimming pool/beach (cricket/volleyball/football) are all great options and a band/music would top off a perfect evening.

Love all the above suggestions from fellow members, all fabulous ideas. Friendship Beach sounds perfect but so does Uncle Eric %26amp; Karon. Regardless of venue, we鈥檒l go with the flow! All for a good cause!

Cheers

Tiff xxx

I think this would be a fantastic idea especially if it is a family event. We will be coming to Phuket in 52 days!! so if its organised by then we would love to come. I think most families are reluctant to leave children with hotel baby sitters they simply don鈥檛 know and venture away from the hotel. If kids are welcome I am sure you will have a great response. What a great idea, to be able to give to people less fortunate than ourselves.

Fabulous idea Mark. We would be in that for sure. Like the sound of all the ideas so far. My preference would be: beautiful beachside setting, a band, delicious thai food with some kid-friendly options for those kiddies that won%26#39;t eat thai food. Maybe some sort of thai dance/cultural show although I don%26#39;t know how expensive this would be.

Fantastic way of donating to the children in need. Count us in!!

I agree that perhaps there should be two different venues. One held on a Sunday at the Friendship Resort (which has been suggested and sounds lovely)...

and the other, for those staying in Patong, to be held mid-week (say on a Wednesday).

I saw a great place called The Coyote Phuket Restaurant/Bar, which could be good for an evening event in Patong (no pool for children though), but right over the road from Patong Beach.

They have Happy Hour and a Live Band and the food is US/Mexican style. Very spacious, on 2 levels, with huge outdoor veranda%26#39;s overlooking the beach.

Have a look at

http://phuketdir.com/coyotephuket/index.htm

and see what you think!!

We are there from 16th May to 9th June - let us know where and when.

JILL + STEVE

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