Dining to help young tsunami survivors
Thai restaurant to donate 100 percent of proceeds during fundraiser for relief network
Ashton Do, staff writer
July 10, 2007

Photo courtesy of International School of Bangkok A student uses a computer at the International School of Bangkok. All proceeds from a luncheon fundraiser July 15 at Wild Ginger in Littleton will go to help the ISB Tsunami Relief Network.

Nearly three years ago, Khun Somsak was in Thailand when a massive tsunami swept through and left hundreds of thousands dead in its wake.

Luckily, he and his daughter decided to travel in the opposite direction before it struck.

They missed it by 10 minutes.

“When (Somsak and his daughter) went the other way and the Tsunami came, they thought they were so lucky and blessed that they were still alive,” said Rachnee Keirsey, who organized the fundraiser. “I went in and sat with them, I showed them all the printouts and the website – and so they said ‘Hey, we’ll help you out.’”

On July 15, Somsak will host a fundraiser at his restaurant, Wild Ginger, in Littleton to raise money for the International School of Bangkok Tsunami Relief Network. The network “aims to make a significant difference in the lives of the poorest children who were tsunami victims in Thailand,” many of whom lost their parents, according to the ISB website.

There will be two seating times for the fundraiser – one from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and another from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Along with entertainment, attendees will be served a full course luncheon with dessert and a beverage.

Wild Ginger will donate 100 percent of its proceeds to the ISB Tsunami Relief Network. Seats cost $20 per person.

The ISB recently opened its 35th Rajaprachanagroh school (R35) in the Khao Lak region, which doubles as a dormitory for its students. Enrollment has reached 1,189 students, according to the ISB website.

Because the Khao Lak region is a heavy tourist destination, English-speaking skills are essential to future opportunities for the children. One of the current projects at R35 is an English as Second Language teacher program, which is primarily run by volunteers.

“A lot of people forgot about the Tsunami,” Keirsey said. “ ... To rebuild everything up again takes a lot more help. It’s not just a one time donation thing, it takes continued support.”

Basic necessities such as food, shelter and water have been met with assistance from the King of Thailand and the NRT Foundation, but the ISB Tsunami Relief Network still needs help with educational materials and computer labs.

Following the Tsunami, several fraudulent organizations appeared, claiming to provide relief to Tsunami victims while stealing millions away from public charity and sympathy. Keirsey, who is an alumna of a rival school to ISB, assured that the ISB Tsunami Relief Network was a legitimate and worthy cause.

“I feel in my heart that my money is going to the right place,” she said.

Wild Ginger is located at 399 W. Littleton Blvd., Littleton, CO 80120. For reservations on July 15, call Rachnee Keirsey at (720) 529-1252.

For more information about the ISB Tsunami Relief Network, go to http://www.isb.ac.th/Tsunami_Project_Update.

Ashton Do is a staff writer for AsiaXpress.com. Ashton can be contacted via e-mail at Ashton.Do@asiaxpress.com.