Programs and Events 2009

Various COMRELs in Panama City

January 2009

The military sealift command Saturn provided a community relations project to Fundacion Calicanto on Feb. 26^th.  Eighteen members of the USNS Saturn worked all day cleaning up cement debris in Fundacion Calicanto’s Casco Viejo location.  This site currently houses various non-profit organizations including a skate park, an after-school program for students, and the student led pottery program “Pineapples for Peace”.  Fundacion Calicanto provided a great pizza lunch to comrel members, and are excited about being able to expand their program into the additional space cleaned up by the USNS Saturn.

The Gift of Life Foundation coordinated exactly that last week at Hospital Punta Pacifica.  Director of The Gift of Life Foundation, Tom Ford, initiated a partnership with a team of pediatric cardiologists from Oregan Health and Science University.  During their third year of travel to Panama, the doctors were able to complete 16 ablation surgeries for children from Hospital del Niño, allowing the patients to maintain normal heart rate without having to use medication.  The partnership was aided through the the cooperation of Hospital Punta Pacifica, who provided the use of their surgery and equipment at a reduced rate, as well as sponsorship from Fundacion Sus Buenos Vecinos and Banco General.