SCI MEETS GLOBAL NEEDS.

When members of Safari Club International, Tucson, Arizona, roam the globe on hunting trips, they often serve a dual role as goodwill ambassadors. Thanks to the SafariCare program, members can deliver much-needed medical equipment and supplies to local residents. Those who happen to be medical professionals also donate their time and expertise to perform medical procedures. SafariCare is one of several humanitarian relief efforts sponsored by the Safari Club International Foundation.

Facilitators-a network of about 100 SCI members who live overseas-communicate regional wish lists to SCI's humanitarian services committee. Chapter fundraising activities generate cash donations to buy supplies. For example, members on safari often bring back souvenirs such as carvings that are sold by chapters to raise additional funds for humanitarian relief efforts.

Members planning safaris can contact the committee to find out whether they can help transport supplies (e.g., bandages, vitamins, first-aid equipment, microscopes, or hematology equipment), either by bringing a special 38-inch by 22-inch SafariCare duffel bag that can hold 70 pounds along with their own luggage or arranging to ship supplies at reduced costs because of their passenger status. This type of escort service for donated goods greatly reduces what would be prohibitive shipping costs, explains Humanitarian Services Committee Chair Gene Rurka. Shipping just one duffel bag, for example, could cost $700-$800.

The reusable SafariCare duffel bags always contain empty garbage bags so that contributions can be emptied into them and used later by local residents for other purposes, such as a window or roof for a mud hut or as a raincoat. "It's amazing," observes Rurka, "the little things we take for granted."

Thanks to SafariCare, orphanages in Almaty, Kazakhstan, received 18 tons of educational materials, books, and clothing in May 1999. The SCI New Jersey Chapter has spearheaded an effort to collect shoes called Operation Footstep. More than 8,000 pairs of shoes have been collected and put into SafariCare bags for hunters to take with them on their journeys to South Africa, Congo, Ghana, Armenia, and Bolivia. "When we travel to a location, we leave a good impression," says Rurka. "The people are very appreciative."