Children
Without
Borders
Feb.
3
fund-raiser
in
Hingham
helps
Costa
Rican
children
Thousands
of
miles
away,
in
three
clinics
tucked
into
Costa
Rica's
landscape,
Duxbury
summer
resident
Dr.
George
Whitelaw's
vision
of
offering
free
healthcare
services
to
hundreds
of
children
continues
to
grow.
Children
Without
Borders,
a
mission
Whitelaw
started
in
2007,
seeks
to
bring
preventative
medicine
to
the
underprivileged
sections
of
Costa
Rica,
where
many
of
the
homes
are
smaller
than
500
square
feet,
have
no
windows
or
floors,
and
have
as
many
as
12
people
living
in
them.
Fund-raising
occurs
annually
for
the
$195,000
budget
for
all
three
clinics,
which
are
staffed
by
two
full-time
physicians,
an
executive
director,
and
a
slew
of
local
volunteers.
Yet
despite
the
(relatively
small)
budget,
and
the
seemingly
massive
undertaking,
the
clinics
are
making
an
impact.
In
2011
alone,
6,500
people
were
given
some
kind
of
medical
care,
500
children
were
given
dental
cleanings
and
provided
oral
hygiene,
950
children
took
part
in a
three-day
eye
clinic,
and
countless
others
participated
in a
16-week
leadership
course
to
empower
women
in
the
community.
Moving
forward,
CWB
is
not
only
seeking
to
continue
the
status
quo,
but
is
looking
to
expand
the
services
outside
Costa
Rica.
"We've
gone
from
one
clinic
to
three
clinics
in
five
years.
We
have
two
full-time
doctors
on
staff
and
also
offer
psychology
services,
maternity
education
services,
a
dental
program
and
a
vision
program.
Now
that
we
have
a
complete
model
with
all
kinds
of
health
care
services,
we're
hoping
in
2012,
to
move
the
model
and
expand
globally,"
said
Connacht
Peterson,
a
CWB
Board
Member.
The
organization
has
yet
to
decide
which
country
to
set
up
shop,
yet
one
thing
is
certain
-
the
endeavor
will
take
money.
Thus,
to
further
the
goal,
Peterson
and
others
will
be
throwing
the
third
annual
Winter
Soiree,
a
night
filled
with
raffles,
a
live
band,
and
fund-raising
at
the
Black
Rock
Country
Club
in
Hingham.
In
the
past,
the
event
has
drawn
about
175
participants,
raising
$20,000
to
$25,000.
This
year,
the
guest
list
has
been
bumped
up
to
250
people,
with
a
fund-raising
goal
of
$30,000.
"I
really
feel
like
our
organization
is
making
a
difference,
and
that
difference
should
be
sustainable
over
the
years
with
the
model
that
we
have,"?
Whitelaw
said.
"I
think
right
now
in
Costa
Rica,
sick
children
are
being
taken
care
of
who
wouldn't
have
been
without
the
help
of
our
local
fund-raising.
I'm
looking
forward
to
seeing
old
friends
in
Hingham
and
meeting
new
supporters."
To
maximize
the
fund-raising,
overhead
at
these
events
is
kept
low.
The
space,
the
raffle
items,
everything
is
donated,
as
is
all
the
alcohol
at
the
bar.
According
to
Peterson,
90
cents
on
the
dollar
goes
toward
the
end
goal
of
providing
healthcare
and
medicine.
Overall,
the
fundraiser
is
intended
to
be a
feel
good
event.
"This
year
we've
focused
hard
on
spreading
the
word
and
making
it a
fun
party
that
people
can
come
to
and
enjoy
with
other
friends
and
supporting
a
good
cause
at
the
same
time,"
Peterson
said.
What's
more,
these
events
are
essential
to
the
sustained
working
of
the
clinics.
CWB
CPR
class
(1).jpg"We're
a
small
organization
and
we
are
in
the
process
of
growing,
but
the
vast
majority
of
our
day-to-day
working
of
the
clinics
and
so
forth
comes
from
these
fund-raisers
that
we
have,"
Whitelaw
said.
"This
is
one
of
the
main
ones
that
we
have
every
year,
and
it's
become
our
life
support.
It's
what
keeps
it
going."
The
reaction
from
the
local
community
has
been
one
of
support
and
gratitude,
even
more
of a
reason
that
Whitelaw
continues
the
impossible
task
of
splitting
his
time
between
his
Milton
orthopedic
practice
and
this
initiative.
"The
people
inside
the
[district]
seem
to
be
very
grateful
the
more
programs
we
add.
We
started
off
bring
a
primary
care
clinics,
now
we
have
programs
in
education,
we
have
a
psychologist,
we
brought
in a
local
dental
school,
and
have
after
school
programs
for
these
children.
We
found
in
order
to
take
care
of
them,
you
have
to
do
all
of
these
things,"
Whitelaw
said.
"The
people
outside
of
the
community,
the
regular
Costa
Ricans
who
aren't
in
these
[districts],
they
are
grateful
too,"
Whitelaw
said.
"It's
an
area
that
is
hard
for
their
government
to
take
care
of,
and
they
understand
that
these
people
need
the
help
and
they
are
grateful
that
there
are
people
willing
to
do
it."
The
organization
will
be
hosting
more
-throughout
the
year,
including
a
Beach
Party
in
Duxbury
this
summer.
The
Winter
Soiree
event
is
at
Hingham's
Black
Rock
Country
Club
on
Feb.
3
and
starts
at
7:30
p.m.
The
night
will
include
many
raffle
items,
silent
and
live
auctions
as
well
as a
live
band.
Tickets
to
the
event
cost
$75.
Tickets
are
available
for
purchase
at
www.cwbfoundation.org.
Costa Rica's Daily English News
Source
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efitor@insidecostarica.com
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