Monday, July 11, 2016

Guatemala Stoves Now Total 2118


Working alongside the international non-profit organization ALDEA (Spanish for “village” and an acronym for Advancing Local Development through Empowerment and Action), five members of SGR along with family members and friends totaling 15 left St. George on May 25 for a week of "service above self" in Guatemala.  This 10th annual excursion once again took money, food, toys and services to create the opportunity to improve the health and well-being of rural families in Mayan villages in LaTrompeta, Chichoy Bajo, Salamit and San Lucas.

 Over the period of a week, this intrepid group of hardworking adventurers built or donated to the construction of 350 stoves – bringing the project total to 2,118 stoves with thousands of lives saved; taught newborn resuscitation to midwives; extracted dozens of teeth and provided exams and glasses to those in desperate need of such services.  Of course, Rotarians and their friends and family also set aside time for play and enjoying good food and sightseeing.
Those who made the nearly 3000-mile trip to this central American country were Dan and Cindy Strobell and their daughter Michelle, an ER nurse at Dixie Regional Medical Center; Ken and Barbara Sizemore and their youngest Shannon; Reed Noble, and his sons Jess (a return visitor to Guatemala from last year) Cody (a Las Vegas attorney) and Parks Noble (Cody's son and Reed's grandson); Phil Hall and his son, Jimmy (soon to be married and preparing for a career in dentistry); ophthalmologist Jason Hendrix and his son Colby; and Rotarian Dave Prisbrey.

Plans are already in the works for next year so start planning now to be part of this awesome experience.

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