Every December, Thai-German friends David Pfizenmaier and Mike Biedassek dress up in Santa costumes with other volunteers and stand outside Central World collecting donations, hoping to make a Christmas miracle come true.
The dedicated volunteers have been stationed at the mall’s beer gardens every day from Dec 6 until Dec 18 as part of the “Santa Cause” project. They will use the collected funds to buy gifts for children in Bangkok’s underprivileged neighborhoods.
David Pfizenmaier (left) and his crew collect donations at Central World
“It was really emotional for me to see and feel how some of of the kids getting crazy happy as hell when they only received five color pens,” David told Coconuts as he recalled the past Santa operation.
“I walked up north [of Bangkok] as Santa and carried a big gift bag on my back in Rangsit. About 200-300 meters in front, first, I saw a bundle of dark spots, then I realized that was 30 kids, aged 5-10 years old. Somehow they heard Santa was coming to their hood so they ran, a few of them barefoot. All of them smiled and shouted ‘Santa!’” he said.
“There I had a deep understanding, a big inner call that I was just lucky to be born into an easy life in Germany. It’s Mike’s and my motivation to invest our time to improve the equality for many kids in Thailand.”
The Santa Cause project has been running for the past five years after David and Mike, who co-founded tour company Bangkokvanguards, starting helping people affected by the floods of 2011.
This year the volunteers plan to collect THB200,000 to support five communities with around 500-600 children and buy desks for the state-owned Makkasan Railway Community Nursery.
“All of the kids will receive a backpack which will include stationery, toothpaste and small gifts with a total value of THB250. People can donate THB250 for a backpack at the booth at Central World — if they’d like, they can leave a personal message, which we will put into the backpack,” David said.
More urgently, the group is also recruiting 100 volunteers to dress up as Santa or superheros on Dec. 19 to deliver gifts in the Makkasan, Baan Krua, Nang Loeng, Baan Batt and Duek Sin communities.
“It’s a non-profit event and the whole Bangkokvanguards crew with their friends are working two week, full-time to set up and organize this great event in the spirit of giving,” David said.
To get involved in volunteering or to donate, check out Santa Cause Bangkok.
Photos: Bangkokvanguards
