Saturday, April 6, 2013

This article appeared in my pilots’ union newspaper.


IPA Foundation: ‘Adrian Suskin Center for Zimkids’ Dedicated
Built by Orphans, Run by Orphans & Benefiting Orphans in Zimbabwe

    The IPA Foundation has periodically provided updates on the incredible work being done by fellow IPAer Adrian Suskin who has worked to help orphans in Zimbabwe through a charity called ‘Zimkids.”  We’re very pleased to announce that on March 23rd, Zimkids officially dedicated its new campus in honor of Adrian. 
    The story began in March 2008, when Adrian was forced to give up flying after he was diagnosed with Stage Four Lung Cancer.  After his initial treatment for the disease, he visited his home country of Zimbabwe and began an effort to help many of the country’s innocent children who have been made orphans by the ravages of poverty and disease.
    He joined the Board of Trustees at Zimkids and got to work raising money for the hungry and in some cases, sick young children. 
    By partnering with the IPA Foundation and other charities, Suskin helped to build a new campus for Zimkids which includes a computer center, office space, clinic, kitchen, resource center and market garden. 
    Older orphans who were interested in learning construction did much of the work, from digging trenches to installing solar panels purchased by the IPA Foundation.

    On March 23, 2013 the Center was officially dedicated in honor of Adrian with a full afternoon of dancing, singing and skits organized entirely by the orphans.
A carved rock acknowledging the naming of the Campus after Adrian reads: "Simunye," which means "Together."
    Today, Zimkids serves nearly 200 children, ages 3 to 17. 
    We will have much more about this incredible story coming up in the April 8th issue of the IPA Flight Times.  Please join us in congratulating Adrian for this wonderful accomplishment!
    For those interested in learning more about the Zimkids story, please access their site at www.Zimkids.com, or check out their Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/zimkids. And, for those of you who are not yet a part of the IPA Foundation, you may join by filling out the payroll deduction form located on the IPA Foundation’s webpage at:http://inside.ipapilot.org/committee/foundation/foundationv3.pdf.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Chemo 9 (Round 8)

Talking about Highs and Lows…….. I have just retuned from the most wonderful trip to Zimbabwe to my reality of chemo therapy here in Baltimore. Though I shouldn’t moan too much about the Lows of chemo because that’s what is allowing me these wonderful opportunities to experience the true Highs in life.

If you are going to visit a few continents in your lifetime then visit Africa twice !

Carpe Diem