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MCM 2008*
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About 25:40
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You Bought a Truck, a Driver, Gasoline –
And then some!
On March 1, 2008 Rick and Anne Wallace hosted a South African wine tasting at their Potomac, MD home to benefit 25:40. The goal was to raise $25,000 – enough to purchase a vehicle, pay a driver’s salary for two years, and gasoline for a year. This effort is part of 25:40’s goal to find the estimated 1,500 children who live in the very rural Peddie District of South Africa who do not have access to health care currently and who are in immediate need of anti-retroviral medication.
About 100 people attended the wine tasting. Not only did we raise the $25,000 needed to purchase the truck, pay a driver two years’ salary and fuel the vehicle for a year – we raised $35,000. That’s enough to pay the driver’s salary for 3 years or fuel the truck for 3 years!
The event was a collaborative effort of so many people – Rick and Anne Wallace who hosted the wine tasting and organized the evening’s visual effects – rolling pictures of the children whom 25:40 reach in South Africa. Maryann Gosnell, Trina Bachman, Kim Kelly, Patricia Mayo and Anne Wallace served as personal waiters in distributing to guests each of the five wines presented. They also worked tirelessly to plan and organize the entire event, from the catering by Wickey’s Caterers, to the printing of beautiful invitations, pledge cards, to the completely South African decorating touches. Glenn Schwitter also served on the organizing committee and secured the wine donations. The South African wine was generously donated by David and June Trone of Total Wine & More in McLean, VA.
25:40 sincerely thanks each and every person who attended or who gave a donation in honor of the wine tasting.
The truck to be purchased will be affectionately named Teaspoon, after the 3-year-old little girl who lived in the Peddie District and fought AIDS and tuberculosis so valiantly. Unfortunately, she succumbed to TB in November 2007. If she had had access to health care earlier in her life – she was first treated at age 15 months – then perhaps her beautiful smiling face would still be shining on Earth today. The truck and driver will be used specifically to focus on the children who live in Peddie District who need access to health care immediately – so that children like Teaspoon will have a chance at a long and healthy life.