CARE for KIDS
CARE for KIDS – in the Dominican Republic!
- Punta Cana – Day Five
DAY 5: SUNDAY – DEPART FOR HOME Preparing to leave, I found that additional school supplies had been provided. I contacted William, and he would be picking them up during the [More...]
- Punta Cana – Day Four
DAY 4: SATURDAY – LAST DAY Time to relax, cherish the memories of yesterday, and prepare for the ‘Best of the Best’ gala dinner and award evening. The evening was lovely; [More...]
- Punta Cana – Day Three
DAY 3: FRIDAY – BACK TO THE JUNGLE – TO THE CHILDREN Early morning – collecting the 12 suitcases that have been stored at the Hard Rock Moon Palace Hotel and [More...]
- Punta Cana – Day Two
DAY 2: THURSDAY MORNING – ARRANGEMENTS FOR DELIVERY IN PLACE I have spent all morning on the phone with various people at OUTBACK SAFARI – the organization who first took me [More...]
- Punta Cana – Day One
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY MORNING – CRACK OF DAWN, DEPARTURE FROM KANSAS CITY / ARRIVED SAFELY My husband and I arrived at KCI at 4am – NEVER have I been at the [More...]
The journey began just 2 short weeks ago; I was an invited participant for the 10th Annual Leadership Summit, this time held in Punta Cana and hosted at the Hard Rock Moon Palace Hotel and Casino. I had the opportunity to pre-select a ‘tour’ to participant in while there. The OUTBACK SAFARI was of particular interest to me – mostly because it provided the opportunity to get ‘off the beaten path’ – visit the jungle north of Punta Cana – and experience the culture and the people. What I felt most compelled about was the fact we would be able to visit a family and school.
The co-founders of this event, Lisa Cherry-Perks and Christopher Perks, asked if I would deliver a bag of school supplies on behalf of everyone. Of course! Our morning began early, departing with about 20 colleagues and an amazing Tour Guide- Alex! We rode in this open air transport, staying just ahead of the tropical storm TOMAS! The tour, in general, was amazing – we saw and experienced so many ‘local’ flavors of this destination. While many of us took photos, until you have been there, and experienced it first-hand, you really do not understand the depth of it all.
When we arrived at the school to meet the children, I was immediately drawn to these little angels. Since my Spanish is very limited, Alex played an integral part in the communication with them. They, seemingly, understood who we were and why we were there. Being selected as the ‘messenger’ for this was even more than I had anticipated. The children positioned themselves together, waiting patiently for the supplies to be distributed. Wide-eyed, with smiles – they LOVED our inter-action with them! One of the items we had, they probably had never seen before – these wrist rubber-band, colorful shapes that kids wear. I kneeled to their little selves and showed the shapes, and began to place on their wrists – bigger smiles … while several adults were near-by (also smiling). That was it – I was hooked on the passion of the moment, the emotion of connecting with these little ones. I hated leaving – they followed us for a few last photos – waved with an ‘adios’ .. and more BIG smiles!
It was a moment in time that I will never forget – and I know that many on my tour felt the same way. What ensued after has been, truly, a passion of caring for these kids! My basic belief in life is to ‘treat someone as you want to be treated’ – and to be able to provide for those who need it more than you do. The fact that I had an already scheduled business trip to the Dominican Republic – is not a coincidence. Life does not map its way with ‘coincidences’ … we have God as our map maker and navigator! Gratefully, my company (Travel Concepts) was selected as one of the ‘Best of the Best’ recipient by wholesale partner TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS, hosting this annual event in the Dominican Republic at the Hard Rock Moon Palace. This event positioned me to return to the DR – even before my first visit.
When I returned to my office, to my home, I began to let others know about this experience through an email that was circulated to family, friends, and colleagues – and to our customer data base. Several ladies I met during my initial visit to the DR (Sandy and Vernice) have shared my passion to provide for these kids. What has transpired since the visit, since the emails – AMAZING! The outpouring of kindness and generosity of school supply donations and monetary gifts – exceeded my every expectation! My home quickly became filled with backpacks, spiral notebooks, rulers, pencils, pens, scissors, pencil bags, crayons, markers, erasers – absolutely spectacular the AMOUNT of supplies. Plus, those who generously provided monetary donations – WOW-ee! This all happened in one short week – truly, AMAZING PEOPLE DOING AMAZING THINGS!
One of the recipients of my email was Travel Impressions (wholesale company hosting the ‘Best of the Best’ event in the DR). I promptly received a phone call from Elyse – VP of their Corporate Strategic Product, Groups and Destination Team for Dominican Republic, Mexico and Latin America Travel. She shared this with the President/CEO of Travel Impressions – and he penned a letter to the 410 participants of this event, asking them to also contribute school supply or monetary donations!! Another AMAZING opportunity!
Now – the logistics of getting it back to the D.R. – to the children! I am so very grateful also for the new friends I have come to know with the Ministry of the Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Wendy, Patricia, Lucien). I met them during my last visit, shared with them my passion for returning, and they assured me ‘no problemo’ – they would assist with the airline and customs. AND – they did!! Additionally, my dear colleague and friend (Elyse with Travel Impressions) assured me she would notify their DMC/ground destination management team to assist with customs and transport to the hotel.
Delta Air Lines agreed to allow me to ship 10 additional suitcases (in addition to the 2 each passenger for free) – all at no charge! With this confirmation in hand – we quickly found a source to purchase additional suitcases needed through a local Kansas City charity to begin the packing process. Where to begin??? Oh my goodness – you should have seen everything – it was everywhere in our home, in our garage! My husband (Milling) took charge – and soon became the Project Manager for CARE for KIDS! His strategic management skills took care of this logistic – and without my involvement at all – he packed each of the 12 suitcases – FULL of the school supplies … put our identification on the interior and exterior – and marked each bag with a recognizable ribbon!
