CIUDAD
JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA, Mexico
– A ceremony was held March 13, 2014 to
present orthopedic equipment made possible through the binational Donating Love
without Borders campaign that helps the hearing impaired and those with
mobility issues in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua,
Mexico.
Donating Love without Borders is a campaign that lasts a month. This is the third year that the U.S.
Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez has participated and the second year that U.S.
Northern Command has participated. The goal of the campaign is to collect and
donate orthopedic equipment to the approximately 48,000 impaired and disabled
residents of Ciudad Juarez.
The Secretariat for Social
Development of the Chihuahua State Government, the U.S. Consulate General in
Ciudad Juarez and the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso, Texas, worked
together to deliver 250 functional orthopedic pieces. USNORTHCOM’s donation of
18 wheelchairs, 12 walkers and 25 canes for the blind was acknowledged during
the presentation by Ian Brownlee, Consul General.
The Director of the Sanitary
District, Héctor Puertas Rincones; Undersecretary of Social Development for the
Northern Zone, Rodolfo Ramos Silva; Coordinator of Community Services of the
Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso, Guadalupe Perez – Gavilan; and U.S.
Consul General in Ciudad Juarez, Ian Brownlee, attended the event.
During a recent General Assembly of the United Nations meeting on Disability
and Development, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said: "All our communities
are stronger when each of our citizens, both disabled and non-disabled, are
able to live their full potential.”
Brownlee echoed Kerry’s praise and
urged the authorities to keep this campaign a tradition in this border town and
to continue supporting the campaign.