When I was young, Christmas came in December, but Santa Clause didn't come until May. Our Santa Clause, whom we called The Doctors (yeah, it's a Belizean thing), was much more than the legend so many of you cling to. We could write letters and actually get pretty much anything we asked for. Of course, Mom insisted that we write at least one whole page of news and we could ask for no more than one thing each. The youngest children (see photo) couldn't write very well, so they dictated their letters to Mom. Once Carolita was trying to figure out what she could write, and Mom told her to just think of something interesting that happened lately. Carolita's face lit up, "I know, I know," she said excitedly, "tell him we got pink toilet paper." We lived exciting lives, yes, but each May, they got a little better because The Doctors came to Belize. Once I asked for knitting needles, because I was trying to learn how to knit after finding the entry in the "K" encycolopedia and attempting the craft with crochet hooks. Not only did they bring me about a dozen sets of knitting needles, but accompanied it with yarn, craft books, and every imaginable accessory. Michael once asked for a watch, and received one of those super cool calculator watches, and the rest of us all got watches too! They brought us rockets and tiny pool tables and paddle balls and just all sorts of stuff. Nothing was as exciting as The Doctors coming to town.

Daddy used to make arrangements with all the back villages to hold clinics there, so after delivering all their goodies, The Doctors would set off for the most remote villages in Southern Belize, often hiking through miles and miles of mud to pull teeth, administer antibiotics and give shots. Once in a while, I even got to travel with them. I remember one trip especially, when I was 10. We hiked 8 or 10 miles through really deep mud all the way to San Benito Poite. I was wearing a pink dress that day, and The Doctors said they didn't want me in their pictures, because I was too clean and might ruin the stories they were planning to tell. Well, I may have only been 10, but I certainly knew better than to attempt a jungle trail in white shorts and tennis shoes! What kind of person wouldn't wear their rubber boots?
After The Doctors left, the fun didn't stop, because they would leave trunks of supplies, medicines, masks, and other goodies for us. The photo is us enjoying the after-effects.

Anyway, I say all this to say that since I'm all grown up now, and a nurse myself, I want to go back to one of the sources of my inspiration towards medicine and go to Belize with The Doctors. I may make it this year, after several years of not making it, and just a few days ago, Mr. Bruce, the leader of The Doctors (known to others as Project Belize), notified me of this wonderful opportunity to help them finance their trips for years to come. The link below will lead you to the Giving Challenge, by Parade magazine. The charitable organization who can receive donations from the most people (not the most money--just the most people), will receive a grant of $50,000!! This could buy medicines for the team for years to come. Each team member of Project Belize pays for their own ticket, so the only money raised by the group is for supplies. Anyway, if you want to sign on, donate a few dollars, and let your friends know, we would love the help.
Ten dollars, folks, that's all it will take. A sacrifice of two Big Mac combos. I think they cost around $5.00, don't they? I never buy them. Maybe I should put in my fast food terms--4 large chilis and two side salads! Anyway, so if you could let all your friends know about this, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks.

Directions: Click here. http://www.parade.com/givingchallenge/nfg?source=pressAGC
Click on "Give to a charity", then follow directions. Charity name is Project Belize. There are two charities called Project Belize. You want the Monticello, FL one.

For more info on Project Belize, visit http://www.projectbelize.org/