ORRVILLE — Community members assembled for a day of golfing, food and prizes June 10 at The Pines. The day marked the 12th annual Central American Medical Outreach Golf Scramble. The event included 28 teams of golfers participating in a team scramble and handicap event as well as a golf ball drop and a Chinese raffle, all in support of CAMO’s vision to bring vital medical services, education and community development to Central America.

Changes this year included a planning committee comprises of 10 members: Matt Kopina, Mike Sollenberger, Andrew Vaeth, Eldon Gerber, Zipporah Evania, Garry Beltz, Dan Steiner, Ann Martin, Titus Yoder and Christine Schneider.

More than 200 golf balls were sold for the Golf Ball Drop with Molly Murphy emerging as the winner, collecting $1,060. She donated half of her prize back to CAMO. The raffle ticket sales totaled over $1,000. T

he top three golf teams were led by Jeff Wenger, Jeff Duta and HJ Wenger. These three teams donated their winnings back to CAMO, too. The “Swing for Hope” trophy was awarded to the first and second place teams. The trophy was specially designed at the CAMO trade school in Honduras for this event.

CAMO is a non-denominational, Christian-based, humanitarian organization that brings vital medical services, education and community development to Central America. CAMO provides more than 140,000 life-saving services each year to impoverished people who otherwise would not have access to aid.

Aug. 26 will mark the ninth annual Camo Salsa Sizzle — a night of food, auctions and dancing. For more information on CAMO or to learn how to support CAMO’s efforts to ship supplies, visit www.CAMO.org, call the CAMO-USA office at 330-683-5956. News is posted daily on Facebook.

The CAMO Golf Scramble is scheduled for June 10 at The Pines Golf Club.

This year, the winner will receive a trophy that was specially designed and made by one of the programs that the Central American Medical Outreach supports in Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras.

In 2004, CAMO added a trade school to its community development endeavors.

By giving the youth of Honduras the opportunity to learn a trade, they were giving them a hand up, not a handout. Seventy percent of the population of Honduras live in poverty. Learning a trade is a life-altering opportunity.

The trade school has flourished with programs that teach culinary arts, masonry, electrical tech, carpentry, welding, sewing, computer skills and cosmetology. Today, the school graduates over 600 students annually.

The trophy this year was designed by a group of the students and their teacher at the trade school. In February of this year, the trade school started an expansion that will allow it to provide more programs. The students are grateful to CAMO and the volunteers that support them. They were excited to be a part of designing the trophy.

This year’s event will be a little bit different. A committee was formed to make it even bigger and better. On that committee are Garry Beltz, Zipporah Evania, Eldon Gerber, Matt Kopina, Ann Martin, Mike Sollenberger, Christine Schneider, Dan Steiner, Andrew Vaeth and Titus Yoder.

CAMO’s inaugural golf ball drop will be held that day and includes 1,500 numbered golf balls to be dropped from 90 feet in the air onto a target — the ball closest to a marked tee will win 20 percent of the pot, up to $7,500. All balls that fall within the target will be automatically entered into an exclusive prize drawing. One of the prizes is a pin flag autographed by Davis Love III. The day will also include great food for breakfast and lunch, and a silent auction and several proximity games. They have added some new fun to the game with Wine on 9 — and a Surprise on 5. They are also raffling a 58 quart ORCA cooler.

Last year, CAMO provided over 130,000 medical services to people who would otherwise have no access to care. All funds raised at this event will go to support CAMO programs.

Teams are forming now and the committee will be looking forward to awarding this special trophy — along with a cash prize — to the winning team. To be a part of this event, contact Helene Moncman at 330-683-5956. For more information, find CAMO on Facebook at Central American Medical Outreach or visit its website at camo.org.

SANTA ROSE DE COPN, Honduras — There was excitement in the air, and the crowd was filled with supporters, volunteers and board members with Central American Medical Outreach — and, surprisingly, a large number of the press — three television stations and many photographers. CAMO is big news in Honduras.

The crowd gathered to witness the first brick being laid for the expansion of the trade school in Santa Rosa. The school currently graduates 600 students a year but has no room for adding additional programs. Collaboration between the Swiss government, the city of Santa Rosa and a generous donation of $150,000 from the Charles Wood family has made the expansion possible. The city has agreed to match the funds donated by the Wood family.

The expansion will mean more programs and ultimately more choices — mostly for the youth of Honduras. The trade school offers cooking, carpentry, sewing and electrical programs. As the building expands, more will be offered.

The expansion will include improvements to the existing building as well as added space. The current culinary class had prepared hors d’oeuvres — beautiful as well as delicious. Both the carpentry and the metal working classes had beautiful items on display. The students were gathered, smiling and taking every opportunity to thank the crowd and the supporters.

There was much excitement in the air as the mayor spoke and invited CAMO’s international director, Kathy Tschiegg, to address the crowd. He thanked her for her support of the trade school and the community of Santa Rosa. The check from the Charles Wood family was presented, and the crowd gathered around to see the laying of the first brick. Charlie and Lynette Wood and Kathy Tschiegg donned their construction hats and went to work!

CAMO continues its good work in the city of Santa Rosa. The impact that CAMO has on the community is evident by the crowd that was there, the dignitaries that spoke and the media coverage. CAMO is bringing hope to those students who will graduate and be able to break the cycle of poverty.

The model of CAMO combined with the heart of many donors and volunteers continues to make a difference in Honduras. Follow our Facebook page for team stories from the week. Find us at Central American Medical Outreach. Donations can be made at our website, camo.org, or by calling the office at 330-683-5956.

Helene Moncman is the executive director of CAMO USA, based in Orrville.

SANTA ROSE DE COPÁN, HONDURAS – CAMO volunteers Robyn McClintock and Rynae Westfall arrived in Santa Rosa excited to see children at the day care in Santa Rosa.

Robyn, a CAMO board member, has been the counterpart in that program for 11 years. When she talks about CAMO, tears fill her eyes. When she talks about the day care, she just beams.
She knows many of the kids by name and recognizes them year to year. She loves to take pictures of the kids, and print them off to take with her when she returns. Most of the children have never seen a picture of themselves. The kids remember her and ask their teacher Reina when she will return.

Rynae, Robyn’s sister, is returning for her second time. She loves kids and remembers her first visit in 2014 and how emotional the trip was. Rynae still has pictures on her phone from her last trip – and one little girl, Ivana, in particular touched her heart. Ivana is still a student there, and when Rynae showed her the picture of herself on her phone, the little girl beamed. A bond was formed between them a few years ago – and that bond is even stronger on this trip. When Rynae talks about Ivana, tears fill her eyes. During her trip she learned that Ivana had been having health issues and needed and EKG which costs 3,000 limperas – which is as much as her mother makes in a month. She could not afford it.

Rynae called Kathy Tschiegg, International Director of CAMO, and together they figured out a way to make it happen. I asked her how she was going to feel leaving her, and she started crying. She said, “I know it will be emotional, I just don’t know if her mom is able to keep up on her medical needs, and it just breaks my heart.” I asked her how she felt about CAMO, and she said, “CAMO is amazing. I love the heart of the volunteers who have such passion for the people, their willingness to give up precious vacation time, money and family time to come back year after year.“

When asked why she comes back year after year, Robyn says, “My first trip began after hearing my husband, Mike, talk about his experience with CAMO, and I had to see for myself what I could contribute to this great organization. The passion and commitment I see in Reina (the teacher) to make an impact in the lives of impoverished children of Santa Rosa de Copan keeps me coming back year after year.”

Every year she arrives with things to share with the children and the teacher. Each year she asks Reina, “If you could have one wish for something for your classroom, what would it be?” Last year, Reina asked for anti-bacterial dispensers because the water that the kids wash their hands in is contaminated. Reina got her wish and more. She brought with her many basic children’s medications, hygiene supplies and washcloths for the daycare nurse Leidy. Robyn also purchased much in the way of school supplies, toys and diapers – but one other thing that brought a tearful response from Reina. I asked her what that one thing was and she said, “Something we all take for granted, clean water! To see Reina’s face light up when the water cooler and first bottle of water was delivered today in her classroom overwhelmed me to tears.”

When I asked her why CAMO, she said, “You get to a point in life when you realize how blessed you are and the only response for me was to give back. Going home knowing the students in her classroom will have access to clean water everyday gives me such pride in being associated with CAMO and all they do to change lives. From a severe cleft palate to making sure 4-year-olds have clean, safe drinking water, CAMO does bring hope and I am honored to be a part of that hope.”
On this trip both Robyn and Rynae spent time helping Reina copy 18 pages of dotted capital A’s for the kids to practice on. Reina’s big wish item for next year is a copier. Reina does all of her copying by hand.

To learn more about CAMO, find us on Facebook by searching Central American Medical Outreach or visit our website at www.camo.org. or call our office at 330.683.5956