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In a message
directed to the Vietnam Experience from the Executive Director of the
foundation: I hope
you will continue to follow our efforts to help disadvantaged amputees in
developing countries to walk again, especially in Vietnam. As you probably
noticed, we recently started a special campaign to raise funds for women
and children amputees in Vietnam who have lost their limbs to war,
landmines and other misfortunes, through an endurance hike along the 2,650
mile Pacific Crest Hike. Two volunteers are hiking the full length of the
trail from Mexico to Canada as we speak. They hope to raise $300, the
average cost of a new prosthetic limb in Vietnam, for every mile that they
hike. 2,650 miles hiked, 2,650 lives changed. I have attached a press
release about this hike if you would like to learn more.
We would greatly appreciate if you could help us spread the word about
this extraordinary hike and its special cause through your email network.
It will take a lot of help from concerned individuals and organizations
such as yours and many others who have not yet heard about us, to reach
our ambitious goals and help these women and children to be whole again.
Best regards, Winfried
Danke, Executive Director
Prosthetics Outreach
Foundation
726 Broadway, Suite 306
Seattle, WA 98122-4311, U.S.A.
Tel: (206) 726-1636 Fax:
(206) 726-1637
Website: http://www.pofsea.org
Peter Springs on the
hike.
Artificial Limbs for Women and Children in Vietnam
Seattle, Washington — March 2002 —
This summer, Peter Springs, a Prosthetics & Orthotics graduate
of the University of Washington, and his younger brother, Asher, age 16,
will be hiking the entire length of the Pacific
Crest Trail – 2,650 miles from the
Mexican border all the way to the Canadian border – to raise funds for
women and child amputees in Vietnam. Says Peter, age 23, with an easy
smile, "My goal is to raise $300 for every mile that I hike, the
average cost of an artificial limb in Vietnam, so that I can help one
amputee walk again for every mile that I hike. 2,650 miles hiked. 2,650
lives changed." Ambitious? Certainly, but Peter is determined to
reach his goal. "These women and children, especially those living in
remote rural areas, need our help. They have lost their limbs through war,
landmines and other misfortunes, and have no access to quality prosthetic
care. Can you imagine moving around on makeshift bamboo crutches in
treacherous mountainous terrain where there are only small, muddy
footpaths?"
It takes approximately $300 to provide a child or adult with a new limb
— a small price to be paid to become whole again. With their newfound
mobility adults and children can go back to work, attend school, shop in
the market, and play with their friends again.
How can you help?
"I urge you to support my 'Let Them Walk Again' hike with a
tax-deductible donation to POF," says Peter. "You can donate
$300 to sponsor a limb, or more if you can afford it. Alternatively, you
can pledge a certain amount for every mile I walk, let's say 10¢ or 20¢,
or maybe even 50¢ or $1. It's entirely up to you. But every
donation counts and makes a difference in the lives of women and child
amputees in Vietnam."
Please make your check payable to: Prosthetics
Outreach Foundation*, 726 Broadway, Suite 306, Seattle, WA 98122-4311,
U.S.A. Or, if you prefer, visit our Donations page to donate
online using your credit card.
"You can also help me by getting the word out about this hike. The
more people know about this hike, the easier it will be for me to reach my
fundraising goal," says Peter. And, he continues resolutely, "I
will do this hike no matter what, but I would sure love to help as many
women and children as possible." Can you imagine what Peter will feel
like, knowing that every step he takes will transform the life of a woman
or child in Vietnam?
Thank you for your support. If you would like to learn more about this
initiative or would otherwise like to help Peter reach his goal, please
contact our office at (206) 726-1636 or via e-mail at pofsea@pofsea.org.
Thank you for caring!
*Prosthetics Outreach Foundation (POF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization, has helped more than 12,000 children and adults to walk
again over the past eleven years. POF was recognized by Senator Robert
Kerrey for its achievements in conjunction with U.S. Senate Resolution
278, which honored the late founder of POF, Dr. Ernest Burgess, for his
"lifelong commitment to humanitarian causes."
BONGO BOB'S WEBSITE
CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO GO TO WEBSITE
I'd like to introduce Robert Dirr, to you. His name is Bob, but people
have given him the nickname of Bongo. He is a disabled veteran, and the
above medals hang on his office walls, along with tons of Vietnam-related
memories.
Bob served in the U.S. Navy, as a Hospital
Corpsman, and was subsequently attached to the 1st Btn, 3rd Marines
for duty in the Vietnam War. He was retired from the USPS on a disability.
This has then enabled him to pursue his college degree. In college, he
began to write about the Vietnam War and his emotional experiences from
his tour of duty. Those poems and stories can be found both on this
website (In the Guest Poet section)
and also on his wonderful and musical website. If you read his
poetry/short stories, you will get to know him much better. I invite
you to go visit his website.
http://bongobob.org/
The International World Peace Rose Gardens organization is seeking
a place in Vietnam to build a new peace garden. The list has been narrowed
down to just three locations and The Sharon Ann Lane Clinic in Chu
Lai, along Highway #1, just south of Da Nang, is one of the finalists. I
will be going back to Vietnam in March of 2003, along with my old Peace
Patrol buddies, and we will be helping their foundation to finalize
that decision. You can help influence that decision by contacting their
organization and voicing your support for having The Sharon Ann Lane
Clinic become the next Peace Garden.
WEBSITE FOR FOR INFORMATION ON GARDENS
http://www.worldpeacerosegardens.org/
IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE
The huey project is still on schedule to
take off from Fort Rucker, on September 19th of 2002. There are new
updates and changes on their website all the time - so for the latest
information go click on:
http://www.intheshadowoftheblade.com/
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