Pattaya's street kids receive a New Year's gift from across the globe

By Damri Muangkaew

Fifty children from the Redemptorist Street Kids Home were treated to a New Year's feast at the Hard Rock Cafe's Sky Bar on Friday January 2. The evening's buffet and entertainment was part of a joint effort between Tracy Cosgrove (Scotswoman of the Year 2003), still in Scotland, her friend, Joanne Aitkin currently in Thailand on holiday and the Hard Rock Hotel. Joanne also brought over gifts for the children in 50 kilos of excess baggage to be given specifically to the children.

Tracy Cosgrove, a regular visitor to Thailand and champion of children, won fame last year at home when she was voted as Scotswoman of the Year for her charitable work with underprivileged children in Thailand in Bangkok, Pattaya and in Chiang Mai.

Tracy is now planning to ship a container of clothing and other goods in February, thanks to P & O, who had agreed to ship the goods free of charge. Tracy then plans to return here in June and bring with her Scottish students currently engaged in the "Charity Challenge" project.

The project involves all the schools in Glasgow and they have been invited to enter an entrepreneurial challenge to help the Thai disadvantaged children. The schools are being asked to come up with fundraising ideas, business plans, profit and loss etc, sell their products, and present their project to a panel of judges.

The winning school will not be determined by who raised the most money, but by the most ingenious way they did it and how much work they put into it. The winners, 3 pupils and 1 teacher, will win a trip to Thailand to see 3 areas where Tracy has been helping, Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiangmai.

The project is fully sponsored by Hard Rock - Pattaya Accommodation, Marriott Resort & Spa Bangkok, the Northern Thai Association Chiang Mai and the Tourism Authority Thailand, and is scheduled for June this year.