On the weekend of January 16th, 13 members of Thousand Oaks Rotary traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to visit our Sister Club, The Rotary Club of Tijuana. We spent the first day visiting the Castro Limon Children's Cancer Hospital to dedicate new surgical equipment purchased through a Global Grant. This pediatric cancer center is the only hospital treating childhood cancer in all of Baja CA. Tijuana and Thousand Oaks Rotary clubs have supported this hospital for years with grants to purchase equipment and provide chemotherapy drugs. It is a comprehensive holistic cancer center which means they focus on the mental, physical, nutritional and medical needs of each child and also supports their families as they traverse the cancer journey. Patients do not pay for their services and most are indigent.
The next day, we participated in 3 Kings Day, a program sponsored the Tijuana Rotarians to provide a day of fun and inspiration for about 500 special needs kids and their families. This program provides food, gifts and a day of celebration for children and families who often struggle to survive.
The next day, we participated in 3 Kings Day, a program sponsored the Tijuana Rotarians to provide a day of fun and inspiration for about 500 special needs kids and their families. This program provides food, gifts and a day of celebration for children and families who often struggle to survive.
During that visit and, in partnership with RC Tijuana, RC Thousand Oaks additionally joined in providing six children with hearing aids. Their ages ranged from one to seventeen years of age. Most of these children were hearing for the first time in their lives. All of us were moved by the joy and gratitude of these children and their families for the gift of hearing.
Left to Right: Rotary of Thousand Oaks Tijuana Team: Laura Conway, Vicki Arndt, Barry Arndt, Pat McCoy. Amy Masci, David Masci, Jody Wintermute, Christy Wilson, Keith Wintermute, Trevor Tyloch, Danielle Tyloch
Castro Limon Pediatric Surgeon, Dr. Juan Carlos Duarte Valencia.
El Trompo, Museo Interactivo Tijuana, an interactive science and children’s museum in Tijuana, location of the “Three Kings Celebration” event for 500 handicapped and disabled children and facilities.