Neighbor News
Northfield couple Mike and Ann Leming receive medal from Thai Crown Princess
An Audience with Thailand's Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and the Dedication of the Piano Building. July 9, 2015
5 years ago Mike and Ann Leming (Emerti Professors from St. Olaf’s departments of Sociology and Education respectively and Westmont Alums of 1970) went to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis to see “Northern Lights, Southern Cross” -- a collaborative effort of Interact Minnesota and a similar visual and performing arts center for people with disabilities in Australia. After the show the Lemings asked the director (Jeanne Calvit) if she would like to go to Thailand and help perform similar magic and miracles with the Thai people. She said, “why not” and two months later she was on a plane for Thailand. The Lemings talked to their friend Dr, Samai, the director at RICD (a diagnostic center for northern Thai children with disabilities) about our dream of establishing Interact Thailand at RICD and that someday the crown princess of Thailand would come to a show at the biggest theater in Chiang Mai to see these children perform for her.
Well their dream was too small. On July 9, 2015 they dedicated a 10 Million Dollar Piano building which is the center of visual and performing arts for children in northern Thailand with disabilities and the Thailand’s Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn opened the Piano building and these children performed for her.
It only took 5 years to make this dream a reality but we have seen our dream come true. What an incredible blessing from God and so many people.
An Audience with Thailand’s Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and the Dedication of the Piano Building. July 9, 2015
,RI