The fun starts at 2pm. Events will include dragon boat races, kayak races, a home-made raft race, a muay talay competition (boxing while perched on a horizontal pole) and a cardboard box race for kids (last one to sink is the winner).

The big event of the afternoon will be the Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race with hundreds, possibly thousands, of little yellow rubber ducks racing down the canal at Canal Village (the technical staff of Laguna Phuket will make the water move specially for the occasion). Each duck will be numbered on its, er, south side, and the holders of tickets corresponding to the numbers of the first six ducks to cross the line will win big prizes totalling around 600,000 baht.

These prizes are: Four nights for two in a Banyan Tree spa pool villa with a romantic dinner, a round of golf and full spa treatment; a game fishing trip or luxury cruise for six from Wahoo; three nights for two at Amanpuri; a year’s family membership at the Phuket International Academy’s sports club (opening next April), an original sculpture from industrial artist John Underwood, and an Apple Mac laptop from Phuket International Academy.

Other charities and community organisations will join in, setting up side stalls with village-fête-type games to keep everyone amused. For kids who know how to kick there will be a Beat the Goalie competition. Not easy – the guy in goal will be Martyn Ware who was once with Tottenham Hotspur and then with Queen’s Park Rangers.

There will also be a bouncy castle, face painting and balloon animals and a marquee with food and drinks at very reasonable prices. For those who want to get close to the races, Laguna’s fleet of ferries will be available. Across the road, there will be pony rides or kids can meet Laguna’s baby elephant.

For more information and to enter any of the competitions, visit www.phuketcharity.org/raceday/. To buy tickets for the Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race, visit www.phuketcharity.org/duck/ – there you can buy your duck numbers online, or check out where you can buy duck numbers in Phuket. Facebook members have the chance to get – free – four more ducks for each one they buy.

All proceeds from the event will go into the Phuket Community Foundation’s Grant Fund from which donations will be allocated to groups or organisations that have good ideas for improving Phuket. Grant applications will be accepted throughout December with the grants being made in January.

There are many fine charities on Phuket doing excellent work in their chosen fields, but there are still many areas of need that are untouched. This is where the PCF plans to make a difference, by allocating funds to those who do not qualify for funding from charities or government agencies, whether it be poverty relief, education, culture or historical support, public safety or public health.

The PCF has already been active in Phuket with its own projects, setting up toy libraries in four schools so far (with more to come), and improving road safety by replacing rear lights on motorcycles – so far about 1,000 replacements have been made, making 1,000 families safer on the roads at night.

For more information contact:
The Phuket Community Foundation
Website: www.phuketcharity.org
Email : director@phuketcharity.org.