Why Pad Thai? People Eye Care Foundation (PECF) provides free cataract operations for people in need each month at eye camps in rural communities around Thailand (and several times a year in Myanmar). After the operation, a patch or ‘pad’ is placed over the patient’s eye for protection. The idea of the campaign is to encourage people to make a donation when they eat Pad Thai and by doing so they will help to ‘Pad-Thai-Eyes’ after cataract surgery.
Hence the slogan: Eat Pad Thai to Pad-Thai-Eyes
Background
PECF has already raised over 500,000 baht by organising ‘Pad Thai’ parties for supporters at prestigious venues in Bangkok such as the Siam Society, the British Club and the British Embassy.
PECF ‘Pad Thai Eyes’ project
PECF now wishes to expand the project to generate greater income with the help of the Capital TV (Destination Thailand) team and the support of the Blue Elephant Cooking School and Restaurant, celebrities Andrew Biggs, Natalie Glebova, Iang Sittha Sapanuchart, and PECF mascot Nicholas Bear. In addition to producing a short promotional video that explains PECF’s work through Nicholas Bear’s experience with cataract surgery, the campaign targets individuals eating Pad Thai and Thai restaurants in Thailand and around the world.
Individuals can share a selfie while eating Pad Thai and make a donation to PECF, and Thai restaurants can participate by adding a premium (5 baht / 20 baht / 1 GBP / 1 USD / 1 EUR) to their Pad Thai dish which they will donate on behalf of their customers to PECF.
The People Eye Care Foundation (PECF) provides free cataract removal surgeries, treatment of diabetic retinopathy and training in the methods of natural eye vision improvement for Thai people in need in rural communities around Thailand. Each month a team of volunteer ophthalmologist surgeons, nurses and non-medical helpers travel to government hospitals to perform cataract operations, restoring eyesight to as many as 120 patients in a 3 day period. Since being established over 28 years ago, PECF has restored vision to almost 40,000 eyes.
PECF has ambitious plans for the future:
- To continue its monthly cataract extraction eye camp programme
- To fund specialist ophthalmology training
- To open a PECF Eye Hospital in Bangkok offering free treatment to the needy
To support the ‘Pad Thai Eyes’ project:
- Organise a Pad Thai fundraising event
- Take a selfie while eating Pad Thai, upload it to social media and use the hashtag #padthaieyes, and make a donation to PECF to Bangkok Bank Account 876-7-04284-2 (Account Name : eat pad thai help thai eye)
- Eat Pad Thai at a participating Thai restaurant when you see the Pad Thai Eyes logo
Your support will help the People Eye Care Foundation restore eye sight to those in need.
For more info, please call Khun Natchanunporn Frankowski at +66 897828282 or visit www.peopleeyecarefoundation.or.th and www.facebook.com/peopleeyecarefoundation.
