Locals tap medical supplies for sister city
Guanajuato, Mexico once a colonial city of wealth based on silver is now a metropolitan area with plenty of needs. Bill and Dale Gates of Ashland are attempting to fill one of those needs by supplying Ashland's sister city with medical supplies.
The Gates' are part of the Sister City's Amigo Club. The Sister City relationship has three parts, governmental, academic and civic. Theirs is the civic arm.
"Ours is a people-to-people connection," said Dale.
Bill (to be clear, not the Microsoft billionaire) and Dale have gathered a garage full of crutches, walkers, braces and other materials they intend to bring to Guanajuato through that city's Lion's Club. During their last trip to Mexico, friends in the Lion's Club told them about their projects to help low-income residents with medical needs. They asked if Bill and Dale could spearhead an effort north of the border to augment their supplies.
The Amigo Club has secured donations from area medical facilities, like the Rogue Valley Medical Center, Ashland Orthopedics and La Clinica, but have also taken personal donations and even scoured area Goodwills and Salvation Army stores to find supplies.
"Our garage is starting to get crowded," said Bill.
The Sister City relationship between Ashland and Guanajuato was begun 38 years ago by Chela Kocks, professor emeritus at SOU, or "Señora Chela" as she's usually known on both sides of the border.
"I can't overstate her reputation down in Guanajuato," said Dale. The state of Guanajuato gave her the Pipila de Plata awared for her work in the city.
The difficulty in getting medical supplies is pronounced, according to Señora Chela. Most are ordered from the United States and are priced too high for Guanajuato's poor. When they do finally arrive, they are often not the correct sizes.
"This becomes a very frustrating situation for them," said Señora Chela. "This project is really a godsend."
The tangible evidence of the relationship between the two cities can be seen in places like the Guanajuato Room at SOU, and the Ashland Room the University of Guanajuato, or in the Ashland fire truck that is now in service in Guanajuato. But less visible is not necessarily less tangible, as the Amigos hope to prove with their relationship with Guanajuato's Lion's Club, and through it with the needy in that city.
Saturday, Ashlanders Joseph Cox, a Guanajuato program alumnus, and later president of SOU and Oregon's education chancellor, along with Robert and the late Molly Bennet and Ken and Laura Jones, will all be honored by their counterparts in Guanajuato, the Guanajuatense alumni club. Each will receive an award of thanks for their service to the program, one that has seen more than 1,000 student exchanges.
The Gates hope the Amigos Club can make a gift of the medical equipment on the Fourth of July, when Guanajuato's mayor, Eduardo Romero Hicks, visits.
Those with equipment to donate or would like to volunteer can contact the Gates at billanddale@97520.net or 482-2136.
