The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat welcomed two representatives of the Los Amigo's project to our meeting today. Karl Samuels of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge Sunrise and Michael Henderson of the Rotary Club of Cardston joined us to bring us closer to this project. Los Amigo's has been operating for about a dozen years, it took a couple off during the pandemic but is now hard at work assembling convoy's of emergency vehicles, which are miled-out or houred-out in Canada, a new home in Mexico. The Los Amigos Project is an inspiring international service initiative coordinated by the Rotary Club of Lethbridge. Since its inception in 2011, this project has been making a significant impact by repurposing retired service and emergency vehicles for communities around Mazatlan, Mexico.
Their 2024 trip, which is their 12th group going down leaves on September 29th, for the one week drive to Mexico and then stays for approximately another week to distribute the vehicles, and the additional equipment that can be sent with them, as well as provide some training to the emergency responders who are receiving the equipment. The fleet for this trip will be 4 fire trucks and 4 hand-i-bus vans. An example of the donated equipment is shown below, from the town of Fort Macleod, a 1997 Ford pumper.
The program has a cost of approximately $8,000 per vehicle, so the group is obviously looking for donations, both of funds and of vehicles. They are also looking for drivers, as the two week trip is usually something that retired individuals can accommodate in the schedule with more ease that regular working folks. A class 5 license, with the "Q" endorsement for air brakes is required.
The group has so far taken 61 vehicles south, and the reception from the municipalities in Mexico is often overwhelming and heart-warming. Some of the equipment hardly has time to cool off from the drive, as it is put to use almost immediately.
Karl indicated that only one vehicle of the 61 which have been donated so far is no longer working, so that is a great track record.
Karl and Mike were thanked by President Bruce.
