The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club has wrapped up its annual Winter Clothing & School Supplies Appeal. Despite our initial concerns, the response proved to be HUGE! Residents of Chiang Mai once again showed great empathy and generosity, and they came together to help children, youth, and families in desperate need of warmth.
As you may have noticed, this year we began the delivery of donations earlier. As temperatures plunged as low as 4°C on Doi Inthanon, the highest elevation of Thailand, our tireless Rotarian Dylan had already been on the road to distribute warm clothes, toys, blankets, and school supplies. Villagers received your generous donations with excitement and appreciation. On one occasion, our team was blessed by the local shaman. It was very moving to see the happy smiles on people’s faces.
The Interact Clubs at Chiang Mai International School (CMIS) and Unity Concord International School (UCIS), along with Lanna International School (LIST) and Satit CMU School joined our charitable initiative for the final two weeks. CMIS students even designed their own promotional flyers. See below for what a great job they did. We will deliver student donations in December and report back to you, Dear Reader, in the next Bulletin.
For the record, CMIRC has so far distributed donations to the Baan Mae U Khonoi School in Khun Yuam, Mae Hong Son; the mostly Shan and Lahu Ban Huai Muang School in Wiang Pa Pao, Chiang Rai; the Ban Pui School in Hot District; the Ban Pha Lai Learning Centre in Chiang Dao where Akha, Lisu, Karen, Lahu, and Palaung hill tribe students go; two Karen hill tribe communities on Doi Inthanon; the ethnic Karen Ban Huai Khao Lip Catholic School in Mae Wang, and the Ban Khun Tae School in Chom Thong. What’s more, we delivered sixteen cans of high-quality baby formula to Nikki’s Place Agape Home, a renowned institution caring for orphans and children living with HIV/AIDS. Thank you to the donor who placed this premium baby formula in our collection box at Rim Ping Kad Farang.
We want to thank all the donors for making this year's donation drive possible. You are amazing! Your contributions have brought warmth and joy to many vulnerable children and families living in incredibly harsh conditions. Check out the CMIRC Facebook for video and photos of Rotarian Dylan's donation trips.
Please note that there is still a continuous need for school supplies. Therefore, we would like to appeal to our community to help raise funds to provide necessary stationery for low-budget schools and learning centers in Northern Thailand. To find out more information on how to donate money for this specific cause, please visit our website.