Rocker Toon Bodyslam arrives at finish line of his charity run

CHIANG RAI, Dec 25 (TNA) - Rocker Artiwara Kongmalai, aka Toon Bodyslam is about reaches his charity run’s goal at Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district, ending almost two-month journey to complete the 2,190-km distance from the southernmost province of Yala to the northernmost province of Chiang Rai. Donations exceed one billion baht as he originally targeted to achieve 700-million-baht fund raising campaign for 11 hospitals nationwide. Wearing a Santa hat on the Christmas Day, the final day of his historic journey, the famous frontman for the rock band Bodyslam started running at 2.30 am today for the last 30 kilometres to Mae Sai district. He was greeted along the route by his supporters, including children and the elderly, and hill tribe people, who sang for him. The stage is set up at the Mae Sai district office to welcome Toon as well as tens of thousands of locals, tourists and Myanmar people, crossing the border from Myanmar’s Tha Chi Lek. Toon started the 55-day route in Yala’s Betong district on Nov 1 as reached his destination on Dec 25 as scheduled. The donations from his campaign will go to 11 hospitals in Yala, Surat Thani, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Sara Buri, Khon Kaen, Prachin Buri, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan and Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok. Last year, he raised 85 million baht donations for medical equipment purchase at Bang Saphan Hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khan in his 400km charity run from Bangkok to Bang Saphan Hosipital. (TNA)