Melbourne Cup is celebrated in a huge way each year in Bangkok with a fantastic full day of partying, beginning with the first glass of champagne at 9.30 am. Each year around 600 people gather to be part of ANZWG’s largest fund-raising event.

The race is watched and enjoyed followed by a great lunch, and then the highlight of the day…. ‘Fashions on the Field’ where all of us get to show our wonderful outfits. The best take home fabulous prizes, thanks to one of our major sponsors. Then there is dancing, and if that doesn’t prove to be enough we go on to the ‘After Party’.

We have been privileged in the past to gain a number of wonderful sponsors who have donated cash. A huge number of companies donate prizes which are then raffled, further increasing our revenue. All of this money goes directly to our chosen charity.

Last year was a huge success as we were able to donate 1.2 million baht to our 2007 recipient: the Cardiac Children Foundation of Thailand. This year the money raised at ANZWG's Melbourne Cup will be given to the Thailand Hilltribe Education Program to build a boarding school for 88 children in Baan Mae Suat (Mae Hong Son). As these villages are wide spread, it is too far for the children to walk to school and in many cases they are kept at home to work in the fields. At the moment the children who are attending are living in cramped conditions, in an old Thai house near the school.

The proposed boarding house will provide a home for 88 children - 47 girls and 41 boys. The boarding house will have two houses with a teacher’s room in between. We are hopeful to raise enough money to cover the building costs, furniture, water tanks, electricity and bathrooms. All labour for the project is provided by the local villagers and even the children themselves at no cost.

Join us at the Amari Watergate Hotel, Petchburi Rd, Bangkok on November 4th 2008 for this wonderful day.

Celeste Shadie Melbourne Cup Coordinator 2008