Pattaya, Thailand-
For the last couple of years, Rugby School Thailand staff members have taken part in âMovemberâ, a global initiative where participating men do their best to âgrow a moâ to raise money for charity.
This year the school staff took part with a personal cause in mind – to support their fellow member of staff, Gareth Kelly, who was diagnosed with colon cancer at the start of 2021. The teachers spent November growing their best mustaches (with varying degrees of success!) to help raise money for the Chonburi Cancer Hospital. This charity was chosen by Gareth Kelly to support others with cancer after he has spent the last year battling through surgery and 12 rounds of chemotherapy. He has done this during a pandemic, while living in a foreign country and, remarkably, he has continued to teach throughout.
âItâs been fantastic to see members of our community get involved in Movember and grow a âmo for a broâ!â said Antoinette Keane, Rugby School Thailandâs charity representative. âItâs a really fun initiative, but itâs an important reminder of the serious health issues that men across the world faceâ.Â
“Despite the initial shock of my diagnosis, I was very fortunate to receive chemotherapy treatment at Samitivej Sriracha. The level of care I received was brilliant, from my doctor right through to the nursing staff. Now that Iâm in remission I thought it was appropriate to somehow give back, hence the Movember idea. I would like to thank all the staff at RST, the RST ‘Make A Difference’ charity team for their kind donations, and Antionette Keane for coordinating these efforts. Lastly a big thanks to my ‘Mo Bros’ – this would never have happened without you. Hopefully next year we can go (and grow!) bigger!” Gareth Kelly stated.
So far, Rugby School Thailandâs âMovemberâ efforts have raised 19000 baht for the Chonburi Cancer Hospital, in honor of a highly valued member of its community, and all those battling cancers.Â