Ride Across Belize and fundraise for charitable cause
In June the Belize Social Security Board staged its eighth annual Ride Across Belize. Every year the S.S.B. makes a notable monetary donation to a charitable organization while it promotes healthy living and awareness of a common illness in the Jewel. S.S.B. says that this year’s race has been the most successful, and while they promote cancer awareness, they also want to highlight the importance of the work done by the Belize Emergency and Response Team. Earlier today Chandra Cansino of the S.S.B. spoke on the two deserving recipients.
Chandra Cansino, Manager- Employment Injury Services, S.S.B.
“We get people submit request every year. What we look for is a request that doesn’t need sustainable funding, something that we can provide that has a start and finish. And so this year we chose BERT and the Belize Cancer Center in Dangriga.”
Andrea Polanco
Chandra Cansino
“So today a cheque of twenty six thousands dollars I believe was presented to BERT and you also presented a cheque as well to the Dangriga Cancer Center?”
Chandra Cansino
“Yes, they were the second recipient and on August twenty-first we handed over a cheque to them of fifty thousand dollars and it’s important for us because we want people that donate to us every year that the monies that they are giving in the spirit of transparency and accountability, that we are giving back to the organizations. Yes, B.E.R.T got twenty six thousand dollars today and the Belize Cancer Center in Dangriga got fifty thousand dollars last month.”
Andrea Polanco
“I believe that will be going towards a pediatric wing that they are hoping to establish?”
Chandra Cansino
“Yes, the cancer center wants to now provide services, chemotherapy services to children with cancer as oppose to adults with cancer and so they are going to start a pediatric wing so that they can do it both comfortably for children and adults.”
Yvette Burks
Yvette Burks, National Coordinator, B.E.R.T.
“BERT doesn’t have a capital budget and we are desperately, desperately in need of various items that are capital expenditure. As a matter of fact, knowing that this was coming I took the risk already and replaced a couple of computers that we needed in the office. And we are also looking to try buy or to secure, see we use to get donation from other ambulances but with the bad economy now in the states they are asking for some contribution of ambulances; so we are currently looking to use part of the money, at least twenty thousand of it unfortunately to try to secure a reasonable second hand ambulance, we really need to replenish what we have. Look around us on these streets and it’s a wonder we keep them going This is an important boon to our efforts and we truly would like to ask the public to be aware that we’re doing an average; an average now of three hundred and ten runs per month and many months we are much more. We had one month where we did twenty four flights and three hundred and sixty runs totally. The other day it’s constantly climbing, I mean you all are the news people, you know that. So you know, it’s hard to keep going and continue say to people ‘call us if you need us we are here to serve and it’s free if you go to Karl Huesner.’ So something has to give and this is a wonderful beginning that our efforts are recognized by Social Security.”
Previous recipients of the ride across Belize proceeds include: Rock View, Dangriga Help Age, Marla’s House of Hope and Rotary Gift of Life Program.
