My name is Matthew Tillyer (nickname Max)
This September I will running my first 55K Ultramarathon through the jungle-clad hills of Phuket, at the Phuket Trail event September 7th-8th.
I wanted to run for more than just to challenge myself; I want to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate, particulary children in need. The destitute, the orphans, children in danger & in need of protection. I wanted to find an organization that is on the frontline, assisting the most vulnerable kids and providing education, healthcare and the hope of a better future.
To this effect, I will be running in aid of the Hope Thailand Foundation. They are a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing hope to the hopeless in Thailand. Hope Thailand was envisioned in 2009 by an overwhelming need to provide shelter and care to the displaced Hill Tribe children and refugees along the Thai/Burma border.
The ongoing brutal civil war in Burma (now Myanmar) has driven many Burmese citizens to seek refuge in squalid refugee camps along the Burma/Thailand border.
The majority of refugees in the camps are from the Karen tribes who have fled armed conflicts and horrendous human rights abuses by the Burmese military. Their villages have been burned to the ground, villagers tortured, women raped & children orphaned and abused. The children in these refugee camps are at a high risk of being exploited by human traffickers, and are malnourished with no safe place to call a home.
Hope Thailand's vision & commitment to provide a safe and loving home-like setting for these children has resulted in the establishment of 2 homes, the Bethel Home and the Wang Pa Home, as well as 4 schools for refugee children: Tong Luang Church School, Emmanuel Church School, Morning Glory and Grace Home.
The children receive health and dental care, shelter, clothing, food and a sense of family and belonging within a Christian environment. The organization also assists numerous teenagers in pursuing their GED, enabling them to attain a diploma equivalent to a high school education.
All members of the leadership team at Hope Thailand are volunteers and 100% of your donations will go directly to providing care for the needy.
It's easy to take so much in life for granted, expecially the basic things such as food, shelter, family & safety. The children in these refugee camps have none of those things, but through your support, Hope Thailand can help give them a brighter future.
Thank you in advance for your support! Every donation can make a difference in the lives of these children, and 100% of funds raised will go directly to the Hope Thailand Foundation.