Reka's World

Postscripts from Las Vegas

The Kiwanis International Convention that I attended last June 24-27 in Las Vegas was wonderful!  We had Former State Secretary General Colin Powell as our keynote speaker at the opening ceremony.  The following day, Jay Leno entertained us.  He was so funny.  He connected with us because he knows a lot about Kiwanis.

Las Vegas!  I saw showgirls walking all around, and, in fact, even the mayor came onstage accompanied by two showgirls.  I could not see myself walking around as much.

I stayed at the Hilton so I rented a scooter, which brought me without a hitch to all the functions via the Skywalk connecting directly to the Convention Center.  Being there as one of Lieutenant Governors of New York was a lot of work.  Still, we managed to enjoy what the city had to offer; we attended a few shows including Cirque de Soleil, at the Ka Theater.

Most importantly, I was deeply encouraged when Kiwanis International announced the launching of the World Wide Service Project, which seeks to address MNT (Maternal Neonatal Tetanus).  There are 40 different countries with 129 million women still affected by this disease.  Per our previous IDD (Iodine Deficiency Disease) project, we will again team up with UNICEF to raise a project $110M within 5 years.

Rujireka, 7/19/10, New York

Toothbrushes for Kids

To support the Kiwanis Club of Port Chester/Rye Brook drive to donate toothbrushes to impoverished children in the Philippines, the White Plains Kiwanis Club offered their own donations.

"The picture I took was a wall in the Port Chester/Rye Brook Middle School cafeteria the day we had a Breakfast Fund Raising for DARE. They were hundreds of thank you notes." - Reka

Go The Distance: A Success

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"The event was fantastic, we do not know how much exacly we raised yet.  We had a wonderful time being a part of such great course. This is their biggest fund raising and it's getting bigger every year.  Because of the weather some of our younger and older members were not able to come but we had 18 people in our White Plains Kiwanis Team; 8 of them were children.  We made up a beautiful Kiwanis Certificate of Appreciation for all the children and they loved it as you can see from the pictures. It's so great to get them to participate in charity work at such a young age."

- Reka Souwapawong

Why I'm Walking for Maria Fareri Children's Hospital

Thanks for helping the children.

I'm helping to raise money for programs and services at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital's by participating in their 2010 Go The Distance walk on April 18, 2010 and I'm hoping you'll support me. I'd like to tell you a bit more about this premiere children's hospital and why I'm so excited about Go The Distance...

The Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center is a vision shared by many people, including Brenda and John Fareri, who lost their 13-year-old daughter, Maria, in 1995 to rabies. During the time that Maria was hospitalized at Westchester Medical Center, Brenda and John quickly realized that Westchester Medical Center, like many hospitals, was built at a time when families were not considered an important part of a patient’s care.

The Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is the only hospital in the nation named after a child. After Maria died, her parents, John and Brenda Fareri, learned that Maria had made a special wish as part of a school project—“for the health and well-being of all the children in the world.” With her spirit guiding them, her parents, family and over 20,000 members of our community have made this wish a reality. This extraordinary hospital opened it's doors in September of 2004.

Family-centered care is at the core of their mission and all Children’s Hospital students, residents and other trainees learn that the active involvement of families in the healing process – whatever the illness - is an important part of helping children recover and stay well. Patient rooms have sofa beds so that parents can stay with their children during their hospitalization. The Art Studio and Child Life programs enhance every aspect of a child’s stay, and visits to the 6,000 gallon salt water aquarium filled with an array of tropical fish from all over the world, the David Cone Baseball in New York collection, or the Judith Rosenberg’s Doll Collection help “ease the pain” of being in the hospital. These are just some of the amazing features of this special hospital.

The most important thing I want you to know about Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is that is the premiere pediatric hospital in the entire Hudson Valley Region,serving everyone south of Albany, NY and north of the Bronx, including Northern New Jersey and Fairfield County in Connecticut. Their trauma unit, burn unit, organ transplant program and NICU are top-notch!

Fast Facts

• Only All-Specialty Children's Hospital in the Hudson Valley region with over 150 pediatric sub-specialists representing 17 specialties
• Only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in the Hudson Valley region
• Only Level IV (highest level) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the region
• Only Regional Perinatal Center for the Hudson Valley region
• One of only five Pediatric Asthma Clinical Research Centers in the U.S.
• Region’s only Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Program, acclaimed pediatric inpatient and outpatient cardiology services and cardiothoracic surgery team
• Hemotology/Oncology Program offering specialized programs in bone marrow transplant and experimental chemotherapy, along with the most advanced therapies for sickle cell diseases, thalassemia and other hematological disorders
• Only Advanced Pediatric Surgical Center in the region and a dedicated Children's Ambulatory Surgery Center
• Only Pediatric Transplant Center in the region
• Only Level 1 (highest level) Trauma Center in the Hudson Valley region with dedicated Pediatric Emergency facilities
• Only Hospital with Medevac Helicopter and Mobile Intensive Care Ground Transport in the region
• In-hospital Ronald McDonald Family Room

Please visit their website at http://www.worldclassmedicine.com

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Children's Hospital Foundation at Westchester Medical Center

None of us know when tragedy might strike. But thanks to the caring and talented medical and nursing staff, miracles happen each day at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.

I hope my email has inspired you to get involved. Please consider joining my team, making a donation, or starting your OWN team, and join us on April 18th as we “go the distance for happy, healthy children.”

Thanks for your time,

Reka Souwapawong

Champagne Brunch with Dr. Bob

Reka Souwapawong hosted last Sunday a champagne brunch in honor of Dr. Bob Paeglow, recipient of White Plains Kiwanis Club’s First Humanitarian Award.  Close to thirty members and guests of Kiwanis Club (sponsor of the event) were on hand at Reka’s Thai Restaurant last Sunday the 31st of January.  A five-course Thai Champagne Brunch preceded Dr. Bob’s update on the status of his humanitarian work.  Dr. Bob’s biography:

In 1988, Bob Paeglow was moved while watching a local news report about a mother who was unable to pay for her son’s health care.  He felt called to go to medical school to treat the underinsured in his local area and around the world.  At the time Dr. Bob was 36 years old with a wife, four children, a house and a mortgage.  Yet he and his family made the necessary sacrifices to support and fulfill his mission.  In 1994 he graduated from Albany Medical College.  He also went on his first medical missions trip to Mozambique.  In 2000, he founded Koinonia Primary Health Care, a medical practice located in West Hill, the neighborhood in which he grew up and now one of the worst sections of inner city Albany, NY.  He moved from comfortable, suburban Albany to live amongst his patients.  There he works with his wife, Leane, a nurse, to provide quality medical care to his patients no matter their race, creed or socio-economic status.  Many of his patients are unable to pay for their care and thus he draws no salary from his practice.  During his vacations, he continues to travel to Africa where he cares for the sick.

   

Dr. Bob’s audience was visibly touched and moved to action by his description of the needs of his patients who are unable to pay for their own basic health care.  Following his talk, a team was formed, agreeing to visit Dr. Bob’s clinic in Albany, NY to pursue worthwhile ideas, which surfaced during the Q&A session, that might further support his cause.  Finally, Bruce MacDonald Esq., White Plains Kiwanis Cub Secretary, presented Dr. Bob with a  $2,000 grant donated by Wal-Mart.

Receiving further encouraging emails from her guests, Reka acknowledged:  "It makes me cry knowing how much people really care."