Dave Shaw - Canadian Aid for Chernobyl
Dave has not done any presentations to Rotary in three years so he said he was a little nervous. As he went forward that did not show.
In Feb. 2020 they delivered 2 containers and it was their 58th. trip since they started doing aid for the children and needy families in Belarus.
They had been bringing children to Canada but since Covid and travel restrictions they have not been able to bring anyone for the past three years. Now with the war in Ukraine the travel restrictions are continuing.
The one large fundraising event that they had each year was the Gala where they managed to fundraise approx.. $120,000.00 at each gala. This gala has not been held since Covid started. A huge loss for the revenues needed to help the families and children displaced by the nuclear explosion in Chernobyl many years ago. The radiation will be there for thousands of years.
Now with the war and Belarus allied with Russia the difficulties continue. Belarusian families are hosting families from Ukraine that have lost so much.
Even with the sanctions CAC has still been able to get containers of aid through to the families that need this now through Latvia.
Dave showed slides of what they have been able to accomplish and of seniors receiving food boxes.
He also told us about the 2 houses CAC has been able to buy in the name of local families which they have renovated to make them livable. Before and after slides showed the changes accomplished.
111 kids are living in an Orphanage which CAC has renovated and made livable.
Rotary has supported CAC for the past 25 years with a donation of $5000.00 per year. This donation has gone to support disabled children.
125 families are receiving food boxes with each container sent from CAC and Dave has said he will continue this as long as he can. As he mentioned he has the connections made over the years to enable these containers to get through.
Dave sadly lost his wife a few years ago. She had bequeathed $35k which was to go to the cause. This money went to the pediatric ward in Chausy hospital which opened about a year ago.
Chris Izatt has also been very heavily involved and has helped with 170 containers over the years.
Dave also read a letter received from Irene Denisenko, President Organization of Families with Disabled Children. This letter thanked all Rotarians for the support we have provided over the years.
Irena Denisenko is the recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow in 2014