Saving the C.E.O's beard! (an Elephant Polo fundraising aside)
Dear All
Well, the eles are selected, the sticks are made, the mahouts are carbo-loading and the bar is stocked.
I wish I could say that a calm before the storm atmosphere has settled on Anantara but actually, a storm before the storm atmosphere has settled, just over a week to go before the opening parade of Elephant Polo when we'll march 28 eles down the main street of Chiang Saen (closed for the event) - lead by five in full battle gear - before the real battle begins.
The elephants will be here from the first of September and we will be having our first mahout games on the second while the main event players practice and get their eye in.
The tournament will continue until the 10th when the Grand Final will be played before His Majesty the King's Privy Councilor.
But so much will be written of the gladiatorial games and the après polo excesses, there will be television coverage from all over the world, blow by blow accounts will be translated into forty different languages and fifteen different scripts...
...and all by writers more talented than myself (hardly difficult).
It is to the events of the evening of the 9th that the elephant boy would like to turn your attention, in Sybaritic preparation for the final day's play and in true elephant polo style, we put the biggest celebration on the night before the biggest day's play - the penalty for falling into the 13th/14th place play off is an 8am bully off after the Gala.
But most important of all, on that night, we will be holding our auction to raise funds for the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre and this year's aim is to raise enough money to design and buy a truck to serve their elephant hospital - or at least go a long we towards this - a sort of elephant ambulance. We have lots from signed photographs of elephants, paintings by elephants themselves, exclusive and exciting holidays but, to be blunt, we need more.
In order to raise the funds last year our C.E.O, Mr Heinecke, shaved his beard and whilst this year it hasn't been ruled out I would like to be in a position to save the beard and so I ask, do any of you on this elephant lover's list have a unique prize, something that might appeal to a room full of Elephant Polo players (and some of these guys have travelled), C.E.O's of international companies that sponsor elephant polo and other gathered V.I.P's?
Would you be prepared to donate something in order to help us raise the funds? We will, of course, give you full recognition on the night and in all communications...
...and remember, it's not too late to be here for the event (even though we are short on rooms I'm sure we'd fit you in somewhere!)
Many thanks
John
PS. The King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament will be held at Chiang Saen Wittayakom from the 4th to the 10th of September 2006 - the tournament is in it's sixth year and has previously been held in Hua Hin, this year it is hosted by Anantara Golden Triangle. None of the Foundation Elephants take part in the polo (the majority of the playing elephants are bought off the streets for two weeks during the tournament) and all profits from the event and auction will be donated to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre.
...and just remember there is only one small and difficult to pronounce (in these parts) letter between shaving and saving! Even if I am being blunt.
(unlike me to miss the bad jokes so easily available to me in the first missive - must be the storm before the storm)
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