Thailand - November 23, 2014

Runway models, dignitaries, artists, and executives came together this Sunday, November 23, 2014 for The 7% Project after-party to raise awareness around one cause: increasing child helmet use and preventing deaths from road crashes. Hosted by the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation, the after-party celebrated The 7% Project, a new campaign by AIP Foundation and Save the Children aiming to increase helmet use and helmet-wearing awareness among children in Thailand.

Taking place at the Octave Rooftop Lounge and Bar with the support of the Marriott Sukhumvit, the event kicked-off with a performance by cover group Crayon Blink, dressing and dancing as their favorite K-pop group, Crayon Pop. Known for their matching track-suit and helmet uniforms, Crayon Pop promoted the campaign during the day with a concert at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, asking their fans to “Wear a helmet!”

“Thailand has the second deadliest roads in the world,” said Mr. Greig Craft, Founder and President of AIP Foundation. “The name of our campaign stems from the shocking figure that only 7% of children in Thailand who ride on motorcycles wear helmets.”

Celebrity personality Mr. Varin (Vee) Sachdev hosted the evening as MC and explained to guests that the after-party was not only meant to celebrate The 7% Project campaign, but also to show attendees the importance of helmets through different artistic expressions.

One of these mediums was through Danish-based artist Marco Evaristti’s live artistic piece entitled, “Oh monk, save me from my nightmares.” Mr. Evaristti poured red paint, representing blood, over Ms. Karatnoot Juntree to resemble a motorcycle crash while H.E. Mikael Winther, Ambassador of Denmark to Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, played a serious melody on guitar and Ms. Lainey Freels of AIP Foundation read aloud a poem written by Marco himself. Covered in “blood,” Ms. Juntree was directed over a canvas by Marco in movements that showed visually the effects of a motorcycle crash without a helmet. The canvas will be auctioned, with proceeds going towards The 7% Project.

Following Marco’s live art piece, ten helmets designed by world-renowned artists (see press release) were displayed through the medium of a runway fashion show. From the wild and whimsical to helmets covered in real flowers and paper cranes, the artistically-designed helmets were meant to spark the notion that helmets can be creative and fun to wear.

Six models from Elite Model Management; Mr. Saul Billingsley, Director General of the FIA Foundation; Mr. Greig Craft, President and Founder of AIP Foundation; H.E. Mikael Winther, Ambassador of Denmark to Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar; and actor Seigi Ozeki took on the catwalk in an effort to show the creative possibilities around helmet-wearing. The night’s attendees were asked to be role models to children by always wearing their helmets when on motorcycles.

“As I hope you’ll see,” said AIP Foundation’s Country Director Ms. Ratanawadee Hemniti-Winther, “helmets can be fun, especially at the hands of artists. Let’s try to get our youth to view helmets similarly and make helmets the norm. Together, we can save children’s lives on Thailand’s roads.”