Here's a look at what's involved for a typical visit to The refugee camps, migrant schools and communities in Bangkok and North Thailand.First, in the weeks before a trip...Operations Director, Eddie Haworth puts the word out that he's looking for donations - clothing, toys, bedding, towels, electronic equipment, medicine - you name it, these people need it.People respond and Eddie or one of the volunteer drivers travels all over Bangkok to collect the donations.  Over a few weeks, the collection grows, filling up the entire first floor of the Gift of Happiness Foundation Headquarters in central Bangkok and then the new sorting room which is about 40 kilometers north of the city.  Then the volunteers sort everything into appropriate piles - Men's and women's, children (boys and girls) etc.  By this time, we've got about two or three full pick-up trucks worth of donated goods.

By now, Eddie or his volunteers have made about six to ten individual trips to gather things together.  That's a lot of time and a lot of gas and express-way money.  While all this is happening, Eddie, the operations director, is making the necessary contacts with NGOs, the Thai Government, community groups and others to make arrangements for the next big trip.   Dozens of emails and dozens of phone calls later, things are falling into place.

Those who will accompany Eddie on the trip (some who need to be paid, like drivers; some who will pay their own way to help, witness and participate) need approvals and camp passes - all of which Eddie has to arrange well in advance.  At the same time, Eddie has ear-marked his own pick-up and is scrambling for more donated vehicles to transport up-to six or seven tons of donated items, and his unique 'Clown TukTuk' up-country.

Finally the day comes to make the 6 to 7 hour drive up-country - a convoy of pick-ups with one pulling Eddie's bright yellow TukTuk on a trailer.

As the team pulls into the hotel grounds, Eddie gets in touch with and meets those who will facilitate the next day's events. For the next 5 or 6 days, Eddie (as Clown Eckie) will do at least two shows a day, often in quite remote locations that take a few hours to get to over rough tracks. He'll entertain several thousand children and their families, heading back to the hotel each evening to rest up for the next day's activities.

In the end, a convoy of now empty pick-up trucks makes the long drive back to Bangkok - everyone thrilled by the sights, sounds, laughter and joy they have seen on the faces of children whose desperate lives have been brightened for a few hours.