2012 Annual Diamond Raffle Prize!

Light of the World Charities

Mark your calendar for the 2012 Annual Fundraising Banquet to benefit Light of the World Charities.  On Saturday evening, March 24th, their major fund raising event of the year will be held at Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club.  This year's theme is, “Angels of Hope”, in support of the new Stateside Surgery Program and local Dental Clinic in Palm City, along with their continuing work with medical & surgical missions abroad.

Guests will enjoy a festive cocktail hour with live band music entertainment while viewing and bidding on a huge assortment of wonderful Silent Auction items.  A fabulous gourmet dinner with complimentary wine will be served, followed by a fun-filled Live Auction and many door prizes.  This year's Grand Prize Raffle is a beautiful 1.5 carat t.w. three stone Diamond Ring, valued at $6000, sponsored by Condon Jewelers of Stuart.  The drawing will be held as the grand finale of the event, and ticket holders need not be present to win.  (Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100.)

The response to their all-volunteer local Dental Clinic, has been overwhelming!  Your support by attending the Annual Fundraising Banquet is critical and will allow Light of the World Charities to expand their program for this vital need here at home. Their surgical missions to Haiti are bringing hope to many in this devastated nation. Volunteer medical team dentists, surgeons, doctors and nurses will be there if you wish to meet and share in their experiences!

Tickets for the Annual Banquet are $150 per person. For information about the Event or Raffle tickets, please call Melanie at 772-220-8280. 

Please join us for a night of celebration and support! 

 

LOTWC Thanks MANERO'S for a Fabulous 2011 Luncheon!

On Saturday, October 29^th, Light of the World Charities held its yearly luncheon sponsored by Manero’s Restaurant in Palm City.  Manero’s has consistently provided the luncheon menu for Light of the World Charities, and we are most grateful. Their generosity allows us to use the full price of the luncheon ticket to provide medical mission surgeries in developing countries as well as support for our local Dental Clinic and Stateside Surgeries.  Dr. Edward Glavey, a LOTWC Volunteer, was the guest speaker. 

Dr. Glavey has participated on missions abroad with LOTWC and was one of the first surgeons to provide free surgery with the new the Stateside Surgery Program.

The luncheon was chaired by Laurie Schwab who, with her committee, provided many door prizes and exciting raffle prizes including a jewelry tree.  Our guests left happily with sated appetites, prizes, plants and lots of good will.

Thank you to all who came out to enjoy the day and a special thanks to the volunteers who helped put it together.

Visit Manero's Restaurant to say thanks! http://www.maneros.com/

Better Luck Next Time!

This past March, Light of the World Charities submitted a video prepared by Theresa Banks and her staff to a contest held by American Airlines.  The winner of the contest was decided by the number of online votes received for the submitted video.  The word went out to friends and supporters of LOTWC to please vote (every day for one month) for LOTWC’s video.  The response from friends and even friends of friends (some of whom didn’t even know us) was great.  So great in fact that we earned a spot in the Top Five contenders. 
 

Theresa Banks with Derek DeCross, Vice President, American Airlines

There was much excitement in the LOTWC office and Theresa was sent off to Washington, DC on September 15^th to attend a dinner where the grand prize winner was to be announced.  The office was buzzing, Theresa was excited as she left on her trip, notice was sent to the newspapers of our impending win and guess what?  WE LOST.  Can you believe that?  Could it be that some other organization could be as deserving of winning as we were?  No Way!!  Actually, “Yes Way.” Congrats to The Hope Force Foundation.

Theresa Banks with Craig Dewey and Irene Ngwa

Theresa came home with 20,000 business extra miles and met some wonderful American Airlines Employees including Derek DeCross, American Airlines, Vice President, Craig Dewey and Irene Ngwa.  All of whom responded very positively to Light of the World's cause. Thank you to SCORE and American Airlines for the opportunity to spread the word about what our organization does here and abroad. What a wonderful opportunity for Light of the World Charities to shine!

Light of the World TOP 5 Finalist in Flights, Camera, Action Contest!

Thank you to all that voted for Light of the World Charities in the Flight, Camera, Action Contest this month. Theresa Banks, Director of LOTWC, just received the call from American Airlines today.

LOTWC is officially a TOP 5 FINALIST!

As a top 5 finalist, LOTWC will receive an additional 10,000 Business ExtrAA points for a total of 20,000 Business ExtrAA points!

Theresa will attend the SCORE Awards Gala, being held in Washington, DC, September 15, 2011.  LOTWC will receive recognition at the event and exposure to American Airlines customers on AA.com/business.  The Grand Prize Winner will be announced at the Gala.

The Company Grand Prize Winner will receive an additional 80,000 Business ExtrAA points (for a total of 100,000 points), recognition at the event, and the ultimate exposure package to American Airlines customers, including a full-page ad in one issue of American Way or American Airlines Nexos magazine, banners on AA.com, an In-Flight TV testimonial, and more.

What terrific timing for LOTWC to receive some added PR as we begin our new Stateside Surgery Program.  The first OR is scheduled for September 24th, in Stuart, FL.  Check our website soon for more details. All medical professionals in Florida, interested in participating in Stateside Surgery are encouraged to contact the office: lotwcfl@comcast.net

Everyone at Light of the World Charities thanks all who took the time to vote for our video. We will let you know what happens at the Gala in September!

American Airlines picks LOTWC Video as TOP 50 Finalist!

We need your help! 

American Airlines and Score have chosen Light of the World Charities' video entry as one of the top 50 finalists in their “American Airlines Flights Camera Action Video Contest”!  This could mean over $50,000 worth of free airline tickets and publicity for Light of the World Charities. 

Imagine how much that will mean to the poor and needy we care for all over the world!  Take a look at the LOTWC video, featuring Theresa Banks, Director at LOTWC and Dr. Rene Loyola, one of our volunteer surgeons.

We need everyone to vote for our video PLEASE click the VOTE NOW button at the top of this blog article.  You will be brought right to our voting page! 

EVERYONE is allowed to vote 1 time EACH DAY, per email address, so please vote today, vote tomorrow and vote every day until August 26 11:59 AM CT! 

Light of the World Charities desperately needs the free airline miles and the publicity that the Grand Prize Winner will receive. 

The Top 5 Winners will be notified the afternoon of August 26th or the morning of August 29th.

We would appreciate anyone who is willing to hand out flyers at their offices to co-workers, patients and friends. Please contact LOTWC and we will send you a flyer to print and hand out. Email: LOTWCFL@comcast.net  or call us at (772) 221-4688.

2011 Gros Morne, Haiti Mission June - Report!

LOTWC returned from Gros Morne, Haiti on June 18^th from its third surgical mission to Haiti. The team, consisted of ten people included team leader, Theresa Banks, one general surgeon, Dr. Edward Glavey,  anesthesiologist, Dr. Val Rossetti, Vince Bogan, Eduardo Juarez, Chloe Harshman, Mark Brown, Brenda Walsh, John Glynn, Ron Ashley.

The team traveled for four hours from the airport in Port au Prince to their destination, Gros Morne.  They stayed one block from the small hospital at a home for visiting medical teams.  The team arose at 5:00 a.m. each morning, had meals provided from locally grown food, and walked the streets and paths that had turned to mud from the recent heavy rains.



Dr. Glavey and the OR Team performed 26 procedures, including hernia operations, removal of lymphomas and other masses on patients who had been pre-screened by a Haitian doctor.  The LOTWC team fixed the hospital’s anesthesia machine and left an EKG machine and a vital signs monitor setup at the hospital, as there was none there.  At present, LOTWC is planning a return mission to Haiti in October, 2011 (weather/hurricanes permitting), as well as a mission scheduled for December, 2011. 

See more mission photos HERE.

The Haiti Report -New Location Approved!

Hospital:

Alma Mater

Light of the World's new contacts in Haiti are Sister Jacqueline Picard (aka Sister Jackie- Board Director of the hospital) and Sister Pat – of The Order of The Religious of Jesus and Mary.

 After a 4 hour ride to Gros Morne on mostly paved roads, save one patch of 45 minute gravel and somewhat questionable road, we arrived at the community house/convent in Gros Morne.

The house was comfortable and accommodating. The following morning we visited the Hospital which is antiquated but had operating rooms that were renovated 9 years ago. They are air conditioned and in decent shape but equipped with a supply of minimal old equipment.  We will have to bring all our new mobile equipment and headlights, as the OR lights are very poor.  

We met a general surgeon, a nurse who does anesthesia, and a circulating nurse who were very welcoming and would like us to come and train. This would be a perfect teaching mission. The need for our surgical support is overwhelming and we will never want for patients.

Next, we visited a fairly large home/medical lodging facility under construction to be finished early June. It can accommodate up to 20 team members, comfortably. 

It is very well built with many balconies and windows for good ventilation. It is one short block from the hospital alleviating the cost of a vehicle.

Once outside of PAP,  I feel the team would be safe. Gros Morne is fairly safe, I never felt in any kind of danger.

Light of the World's first mission to Gros Morne is scheduled for June 12-18^th.