Foundation for the Education of Rural Children

Sweet, Sweet Charities

The chefs (front) and
FERC Chairman Marc Dumur (rear)

Ah, Sweet Charities! The Foundation for the Education of Rural Children (FERC) recently hosted an elegant and unusual evening to benefit its scholarship program – Sweet Charities - in the garden of the Old Japanese Consulate in Chiang Mai. To make the evening especially sweet, chefs from local five star hotels and restaurants manned work stations displaying – and serving - their favorite desserts. Brownies, cheese cake, flourless chocolate cake topped with crème anglaise, a chocolate and fruit mousse cassoulette with bourbon sauce, and a very special chocolate fudge helped to satisfy the sweetest of sweet teeth.

Tangerine Blue providing live entertainment

Guests were greeted by board members as they entered the gates and were served a glass of sparkling wine after being shown into the beautifully lit tropical garden. Music by Tangerine Blue set the stage for a lovely evening under the palm trees and featured a variety of favorite show tunes. Mild winter breezes kept everything cool, including the inviting desserts. Abstract artist Chang Lek displayed and sold small landscape abstracts, described by artist Galen Garwood as “little visual desserts”. A portion from the sale of each painting was donated to FERC.

Rebecca Lomax, FERC board member, welcomed the guests and described the FERC scholarship programs and the children who have received assistance through the years. She stated that FERC scholarships have been awarded to children in the mountains as well as to rural children attending school in Chiang Mai, to students who were at all levels of their educations from pre-school to college, and to disabled students as well as those without disabilities. She described some of the reasons that students needed scholarships, and the risks posed to children by not having an education.

The wait staff for the event

Guest chefs and their sponsoring hotels and restaurants were recognized, The Chedi, D2, Four Seasons, Sofitel Chiang Mai and The House, as well as Siamese Traders and Nacha Coffee for their donations of teas and coffee. Artists Chang Lek and Galen Garwood were recognized, and guests were directed to the table displaying Chang Lek’s art work. The performing musical group Tangerine Blue and its members, John Smith, Mark Gerard, Ong-Ard Kanchaisak and Jaruwat Kitisith were introduced. Each group was thanked for its charitable contributions to the welfare of children in Thailand, and for their work in making Sweet Charities a success.

Guests were invited to enjoy watching the chefs at their work stations and to enjoy their sweet desserts with the following comment, “It has been said that the world’s greatest tragedies were written by Sophocles and Shakespeare. Obviously neither one knew about chocolate. We want no tragedies conceived here tonight, so please join us in indulging ourselves at the dessert tables.”
A gingerbread house was donated for the event and auctioned to the highest bidder later in the evening. The winning bidder generously donated this charming bit of edible art to the children of the Viengping Children’s Home.

[The original introduction to Sweet Charities may be seen here]

last updated: June 25, 2010