date: 01 24 2005

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Rubber, meet road. We need volunteers. And now is the time to join us and support the relief efforts in Thailand. There are now two trips scheduled for Thailand in March. The coordinators in Bangkok and in Phuket seem to be confident that they will be ready to receive volunteers at that time.

The following dates represent dates we will need to be in Phuket. Please take into consideration travel to and from the United States and from Bangkok into Phuket when you are looking at your calendars. The flight is approximately 24 hours, in transit, to Bangkok.

First Trip
February 28 - March 12
Second Trip
March 14 - March 26

If you are able to join either of these volunteer groups, we need to know as soon as possible. The first group will need to be locked (ideally) by the end of this week. If you are interested, please make sure you email Mach and that we have your volunteer information sheet on file. You should also make sure your passport is up to date and get any vaccinations you may need. You can check out the center for disease control site at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/ for more information on preparing for your trip.

AIRFARE + LOGISTICS
We have secured discounted airfares from Northwest Airlines, priced specifically for groups and tsunami relief volunteers. The fares are round trip from either New York or Los Angeles and volunteers will need to make their own arrangements to get to one of the two gateway cities. The approximate cost is 700.00 from New York and 650.00 from Los Angeles. The cost of the tickets as well as other costs incurred in association with this volunteer effort are tax deductible.

We are also exploring the ability for people to stay beyond the two week period. We are checking with the airlines to see if the tickets can be purchased with open return dates and we will update the teams accordingly. Please keep in mind, however, that we aren't going to be able to provide the sort of service you might expect from your friendly neighborhood travel agency. Where is Julie McCoy when you really need her?

ACCOMMODATIONS IN PHUKET
We have secured hotel accommodations at the Sheraton in Phuket. Rooms will be double occupancy, although people willing to pay for a single supplement can probably do so. I do not know how much that supplement will be at this time. But hey, be social, share a room - it'll be good for the soul.

Credit goes to a bunch of people for cold calling hotels, but special thanks to (my friend from high school) Nicole Reynolds for getting the Sheraton to agree to this contribution. She has spent a lot of time on the phone with people in Thailand and what she has accomplished is great. Everyone send her thanks for her efforts. ;o)

Please note, however, that our goal is to extend our volunteer efforts in Phuket through the balance of the year. Although the support of the Sheraton is great news, please continue to explore and consider other connections and opportunities to secure accommodations into the months of April and May.

PUBLICITY / FLYERS / FUNDRAISERS
A reminder that there are 17 nights of fundraisers in New York over the course of the next month. Most of the proceeds from the door at the various events will go directly to the Phuket Project. Please try to attend, and tell friends. These should be a lot of fun and obviously, they will benefit a good cause. More information is available here.

We need volunteers to help get the word out. We have a bevy of flyers that we can begin to use to spread the word about the Phuket Project. Thanks to Helen Yang for the design and Joe Mindak for the printing. We need people willing to hand these out in their neighborhoods and towns, and if you'd like to come by and pick up a set of flyers, please feel free to stop by at Foote Cone & Belding, 100 West 33rd Street @ Sixth Avenue, New York City, New York. You can ask for Mach Arom or Emily Lepore.(map)

If you would like to have a set of flyers mailed to you, to distribute locally, please email Mach with your landline address.

Don't want to brave the subway? You can help spread the word by going onto message boards about volunteering, Thailand, travel, relief work, or anything at all and put a link to our site there. Someone recently posted our site on DesignIsKinky.com and a ton of people have been getting to us who might not have heard of us before. Be creative!

SUPPLIES
Many of you had previously asked whether or not we would need supplies in Thailand. Although we believe we will be able to secure the larger supplies (wood, wheelbarrows, ladders) in Bangkok, we will also need to purchase hammers, drills, screwdrivers, blades and other small items if donations are made available in the United States.

LEGAL ADVICE
We need the help of anyone in the group who is an attorney. Although our legal needs are not earth-shattering, we do need help in reviewing documents that involve partnerships with other organizations and agreements we will enter into with volunteers. If you can help, please let us know.

Thanks everybody,

The Team at PhuketProject.org