For the fourth year in a row, Pattaya’s annual Ladyboy Water Volleyball Competition exceeded its  fundraising goal and more than 250,000 baht was presented last Saturday to each of three orphanages in what has become a much-acclaimed charity event, simultaneously kicking off the city’s high season.

All three beneficiaries this year were children’s homes: the Pattaya Orphanage founded by the late Fr. Ray Brennan in 1972; Baan Gerda in Lop Buri, for children with HIV; and the Bamboo School in Kanchanaburi, caring for orphans near the Myanmar/Thai border.

2015 Competition Winners: The Blue Dolphins

The Blue Dolphins, sponsored by TJ’s Bar in Pattaya, won the fiercely fought competition amid squeals of delight from the players and robust applause from an international audience.

With rain halting just an hour ahead of the contest’s start, five teams competed under bright but overcast skies—the “perfect light for photographers,” one happily proclaimed—for the first time included an independent team, identified as the Pink Panthers.

This was also the first time teams were given such names. Festival organizers said company and organization sponsors “are generally sensitive about affiliation with transgender events and especially those associated with venues in the play-for-pay business. Giving the teams names helps reposition the event, assisting with such support as well as inspire teams in costuming and cheers.”

Other competitors this year were called the Purple People Eaters, from King’s Bar in Pattaya, the Red Dragons, Check-In Bar in Bangkok, and the Yellow Canaries, Cockatoo Bar, also from Bangkok. Swimwear and cheerleading team costumes  reflected the colors in the names.

King’s Bar placed second in the four-hour-long schedule of matches and the winning cheers squad was from the Check-In Bar, featuring conga drums, bullhorns, and a line-up of nine performers.

The event, held for the fourth year at the Areca Lodge, closed with an evening gala when all teams were awarded gift and cash prizes and cashiers’ checks were presented to the three orphanages by the event’s two top sponsors, Mr Gordon Niven representing NB Surveys of Bangkok, a company providing laser technology services to the oil and gas industry, and Mr Rodney Charmers current President of Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard.

“Thank You Very Much” Sung by Pattaya Orphanage Children

Entertainment was provided by children from the Pattaya Orphanage, singing “You Raise Me Up” and a choreographed rendition from the film Scrooge, “Thank You Very Much.”

All team members—now in evening wear instead of bikinis—were presented gift packs and prizes by ladyboy celebrity Miss Mimosa.

The evening gala also featured a Thai and international buffet, a raffle and auction, the latter adding to the sum donated to the orphanages. Festival organizers, report the only funds diverted from the beneficiaries paid for hotel services and facility, printing and Prize money. The LBWVB organization is staffed entirely by volunteers and thus holds its overhead to less than 15%.

The 750,000 baht raised at last Saturday’s all-day celebration brought to nearly 3 million baht the total donated to Thai charities since the contest’s founding in 2012.

Other sponsors included USVPN a virtual private network provider, Bkk FunCard, Asia4Fun, with Raffle prizes donated by local restaurants: Beefeater, Yamato and Sportsman.