Tag: "Games"

CMTR 2010: Three’s a Charm

Everyone exceeded their fun quotas at the third annual Chiang Mai ToyRide (CMTR) charity motorcycle ride on Sunday, 21 February 2010. Nearly 200 bikes of all shapes and sizes (and riders of all shapes, sizes and ages) met the Tesco Khamtien parking lot in Chiang Mai to start the ride/parade to the X-Centre near Mai Rim for an afternoon of food, drink, music, clowns, magician, best decorated bike contest, prizes, face painting, games, relays and the famous giveaway to children from the mountain of toys the riders had donated. The only requirement for admission was one toy, though it was also mandatory for attendees to smile a lot while watching the antics of the special guests of the day: about 100 children from Chiang Mai’s School for the Blind, the Children’s Shelter Foundation, the Glenn Croston House in Lamphun and the Ban San Fan Orphange in near Doi Saket.

By the end of the day, 350 bikes were counted as well as about a quarter of a million baht in net funds raised through individual donations, business supporters, major sponsors and headline sponsors: Chiang Mai Mail, Tesco-Lotus, X-Centre, GT-Rider, Yamaha/Charoen Motor, Richco Motor Sports, Impulse Tourism, Guitarman and Code Electric.

These funds will be used to help children in need throughout northern Thailand in CMTR’s Playground Plus Program, which targets kids that are “under the radar” and haven’t been helped by other organizations. CMTR’s mission is to identify the needs of children in villages, orphanages or schools, and then present them with the goods they want, not the cash, during donation rides and events throughout the year. Past donation projects include new toilets for a needy school near Mae Rim; educational books and toys, playground repair, water-proof book backpacks, food, warm blankets and athletic equipment at other schools and villages; medical supplies, Santa and his bag of toys in the acute wards of Maharaj Hospital in Chiang Mai.

These donation events, though on a smaller scale, encourage interaction between the riders and the kids, like the recent main ride/fundraiser, where riders competed with the kids in relays and tug o’ war. For the first time ever, the riders actually won a tug o’ war match against the kids! Clowns and balloons enthralled everyone. Nick the Magician cast his unique spell on the crowd. The Ol’ Fishing Booth was packed until the kids had fished it dry of prizes.

Cat and butterfly faces flitted through the crowd on happy kids who had experienced the Face Painting Booth. All afternoon, many grand musicians from Guitarman entertained folks as they feasted on food and drink from the X-Centre and major sponsor Miguel’s, both of whom donated a substantial percentage of their take to the kids.

Anyone is welcome to partake in the festivities at our donation events throughout the year that will be announced on this website. Just bring a toy and a big smile!

Photos/Captions: All photos by Ally Taylor

View this story in the Chiang Mai Mail magazine.