Saratoga Rotary Sponsors its third Rotaplast Mission to Guatemala

​Saratoga Rotary is sponsoring a third Rotaplast medical mission to Guatemala in March, 2014. On March 9, seven Saratoga Rotarians will join a medical team of twenty and spend fourteen days as medical and lay volunteers assisting in providing free cleft lip and cleft pallet surgeries to the poor children in Guatemala and neighboring countries.

During Saratoga Rotary's two previous missions in 2008 and 2010, 120 children had their lives forever changed. That's the good news. The bad news is, on both those missions over 250 families brought their children hoping for the surgery.

In 2014 we go again, and time permitting, our skilled surgeons will again give to 120 more children an answer to their parents' prayers; the ability to speak correctly, and to smile; and you can help.

A Rotaplast mission to Guatemala costs about $85,000 and as a cosponsor, Saratoga Rotary must raise $50,000 of that cost. $34,000 has been raised so far, and we are looking for you to join our team by making a tax deductible donation. A donation of $500 allows you to be the sole sponsor of one of the children and at the end of the mission you will receive a post-surgery photo of your child. We understand not everyone can donate a full sponsorship. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.

To donate, make a check out to the Saratoga Rotary Charitable Foundation, write Rotaplast in the memo line and mail it to P. O. Box 2244, Saratoga, CA 95070. What could be a greater gift than giving a smile to a child struck with a terrible birth defect?

To learn more about Rotaplast, go to www.rotaplast.org.