PeruDonations.org
NEWS ITEM ARCHIVE
*March 2008 - PROMISES: A Party With A Purpose
The long-awaited news has arrived - We are hosting another concert at Don Ho's on Saturday, March 29.  This show promises to be as
happening as the last, with some of our most dedicated supporters, Pimpbot, Büsekrüs and Awry By Design entertaining us with their
musical talents.  We are also having for the first time, Breaking The Innocent, who are doing more than just playing - the band is also
providing the entire sound system as well as running the board all night.  Much thanks to Steve and the guys for taking care of this huge
job for us.  Their drummer, Larry, will also be filming the event for our archives and for the website.   And as if that weren't enough, there
will be four photographers documenting the event!  We are looking forward to having both photos and video available for our beneficiaries
in Perú to see online!

We are also going to have as our openers "Na Kane O Hawaii," a very talented pair of boys from Castle High School who have a very
successful future ahead of them from what we hear (pun intended).  

Throughout the night, Guest DJ Fernando "The Love Machine" will keep things moving with his signature antics and Latin music
collection.  We will also have a merchandise and info table, staffed by our volunteers.  The merchandise will include hand-made Peruvian
jewelry, our compilation CD "One Life At a Time," and a few other items for sale.  We will also have door prizes and raffle items from
The 808 Scene Zine, 808 Shows, 808 Tattoo, Quality Transmission, Jelly's Aiea, Oasis Skateboards, as well as fine and costume jewelry.  
A few of the bands will also have some of their merchandise up.  Please make sure to support them as well.  There are a few suprises in the
wings, so don't miss this party!

The funds raised at the concert will continue to support our efforts in Perú.  Presli has been selected for further surgery this summer by
Rotaplast International.  Dr. Capozzi has taken a special interest in Presli and we are grateful for his efforts.  Merardo continues to need
medications and bandages, as well as nutritional support for his disorder.  Elaine Binkley has also been working behind the scenes on the
East Coast, gathering more Kerlix and other hard-to-find items to deliver to Merardo on her return trip later this year.

Advance discount tickets avaiable RIGHT NOW at
MusicMatchbox.  Tickets can also be purchased directly from the bands performing,
as well as several others on O'ahu.  Ask your favorite bands if they have tickets to "PROMISES".

Many thanks to our sponsors, especially The 808 Scene Zine, Pass Out Records, Pimpbot, Büsekrüs, 808 Tattoo, Castle High's students
and so many others who have been so generous with their support.  Without all of them our desire to help would be just wishes.  But as a
team, these wishes have become PROMISES.

See the
blog for this and more news about our new project in Chupaca!!
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*December 2007- The Year-End Letter  
Mahalo and Gracias to our wonderful supporters!  
Since our creation one year ago, PeruDonations Corporation has been blessed to
fund three projects.  We have raised $3158 through benefit concerts, jewelry and CD sales, and monetary gifts from donors like you.  All
proceeds have been used to send goods and provide for the medical needs of poor children in Perú.  Your generous gifts have gone directly
to those in need!

August 2007 – Project Presli – In conjunction with Rotaplast International Inc., Presli Balbin Ordaya underwent surgery to correct
severe deformities to his mouth and eye, both of which now function properly.  We hope to provide more for more surgery for Presli in
2008.  Many thanks to Dr. A. Capozzi, and Ely Tinoco Chinchilla.

September 2007 – Mission Merardo – in conjunction with Peru Luz de Esperanza, Doctors B. Kuhn and M. Lee of Honolulu, and E.
Binkley, RN of N. Carolina, Merardo Pillpa Alvarado received specialized bandages, clothing, and nutritional support for his
Epidermolysis Bullosa.  Merardo now sleeps on a mattress with a pillow instead of on a dirt floor.  

Special recognition to the world languages classes of Ms Oliva Lui-Kwan who have raised money for all our projects and now
have bought a bicycle and Christmas presents for Merardo’s family.  WAY TO GO, GUYS!!!  We are proud of you!

Christmas 2006 - in conjunction with Andean Outreach Project and Peru Luz
de Esperanza, 400 children in a remote Andean village, most of whom never had celebrated Christmas before, were treated to a party.  
Babies through adolescents received hot cocoa and rolls, and clothing or a toy.  The village "mamas" who donated the use of their kitchens
also received a whole chicken and other gifts, so their family could have a nice Christmas dinner.

Thanks again to all the bands, businesses, promoters, sponsors, and volunteers who donated their time and talents at the benefit concerts.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
* OUR AFFILIATES, ANDEAN OUTREACH PROJECT, HAVE ATTAINED TAX-EXEMPT STATUS!!  
Congratulations, Terry, Alison and all the partners around the world for attaining this essential milestone.  This will open up the
opportunity to raise larger amounts of funds through grants and large individual and corporate donations to help our joint projects in
South America, We are proud to be your partners!!

* THE SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 SHOW AT DON HO'S ISLAND GRILL, "ONE LIFE AT A TIME," WAS
AWESOME!!
The show opened with a demo by Capoeira Besouro Hawaii, then the über-talented "Max Murdoch" entertained,
including an acoustic song "Lisa Perú" (guess who that is?), then "Awry By Design" played their very first gig, "Grand Theft Audio"
brought up the energy and "Pimpbot" closed us out with their regular crowd-pleasers.  

Meanwhile, we had a PowerPoint video playing at our merchandise table which showed scenes of our
trip to Perú, some shots contributed by Ely, our two boys and other wonderful scenes.  Our tireless volunteers, Hannah & Gilda, stayed at
the table giving Sheri and Chris a hand selling our Peruvian jewelry and giving attendees info about our work.  Sarah and Debbie, of the
Pimpbot crew, helped us sell some of our CD's (it was also a release party).  Brian, Aaron, Winter, Francie, Sharla, Karene, and Marcus
helped fill in where needed, mostly at the door to help out Shawn Davenport.  Katie Whitman was absolutely wonderful, starting about
three months prior, in making sure this was a top-notch show (yay Katie!).  

More details can be found on the October 18th blog (click on the yellow button above).  

Our many sponsors were: The Taco Shop, Jelly's Aiea, Sure Shot Cafe, The 808 Scene Zine, 808Shows.com, 808Tattoo, Pass Out Records,
Capoeria Besoruo Hawaii, Rude Maneuvers Industries, Easy Music Center and Missing Dave (hope I have not forgotten anyone).

We raised nearly $450 to send to Perú and Ely bought Merardo vitamins and supplies and took care of the last-minute expenses for
Presli's trip to the surgical clinic.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
* CASTLE HIGH STUDENTS ARE WONDERFUL!! The students of Mrs. Oliva Lui-Kwan's French and Spanish classes are
raising funds!  Moved by the story of Merardo and his incurable and painful skin disorder, these students have begun to raise funds to buy
him a new bike!!  Merardo's disorder causes him to get oozing blisters with the slightest pressure.  Riding his bike to school and around
town can be a source of great pain.  The bike he is currently using is quite old and barely working.  With a new bycicle, he will be better
able to navigate the rough roads of his pueblo and enhance his independence without causing him more pain.  Any extra funds will be used
to purchase more vitamins and medical supplies for his continued care.

We are so proud of these students.  Students who give become adults who give - like us.  Way to go guys!!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
* ELAINE IS PACKED AND READY TO GO!!  Elaine is a nurse from the U.S. who contacted us several months ago.  She
heard that we had worked at Tinkuy Perú in Huancayo and she was planning to do the same.  She is now in the last few weeks of
preparation.  Like Karen who was there this summer, Elaine is going to help us with some follow up on our boys.  She will be visiting
Presli at the orphanage and will be giving some medical training and supplies to the staff.  

She will also make the trip to visit with Ely and Merardo and give him some wound care supplies, including Kerlix, a very expensive
specialty bandage that is used for burns and other wounds.  This gift will improve the family's ability to properly care for his many
blisters.  While there she will also be able to give us a quick update on his general health and nutrition, which are our main interests.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
May 2007
* END-OF-SUMMER CONCERT NOW IN THE WORKS!
Keep your calendars open for mid to late August.  Date TBA!!!

*
Our fine jewelry "store" is getting a lot of attention, with offers coming in regularly.  DON'T MISS OUT!   

* Imported directly from Perú, we now have "Alpaca silver" items available.  As with the fine jewelry, the sale of these items will directly
benefit our projects.

* We are now blogged.  Click here for a chronological listing (newest on top) of all of our newsletters since day one.  This will replace
our newsletters, however, you will still need to
email us to be added to (or removed from) the blog subscription - that is until I figure how
to automate it.  From now on I will be sending a link to the new blog entry instead of the complete text.  There is a link on the blog page to
create an RSS feed directly to your desktop, as well as other cool tools.

* Negotiations are in the works for a compilation CD with Pass Out Records - YAY Eric!  By the end of summer we hope to
have a CD available for purchase at Hawaii music shows, from our favorite Music Mogul (
Francie), at other online download sites, at
independent local music stores, directly from Pass Out Records and possibly by direct order through www.lulu.com.  We are very excited
about this.  The proposed price is between $10 and $12 depending on how many bands donate tracks.  The CD will be produced
professionally and will greatly improve our visibility in the community and bring attention to the situation in Peru.  It may feature a song
in Spanish by "40 Nativoz"as well as several popular bands from Hawaii and beyond!
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__

August 2007
*PRESLI GOT SURGERY!!  Thanks to the generous donation of time and talents of the Rotaplast International medical
team, Presli got his first intervention today in LaOroya!!

Due to the earthquake earlier this week, we have been unable to communicate with our representative in Péru, Ely.  We did, however,
receive a mesage from Dr. C that the hospital felt the effects of the temblor, but did not suffer any damage in the facility.  See more details
in the
blog.  

We would like to extend a heartfelt "Thank You" to all of you who have supported our dream and who have helped to make this day come
to pass for Presli!  This is only the beginning for him, but we are just so pleased we could get this far so fast!  Through luck, hard work
and continual support from all of you, his future is looking brighter already!

Most of all, we would like to congratulate Elizabeth Chichilla, our "funcionaria" in Perú for her hard work and dedication to this cause.  
Ely has spent EIGHT MONTHS attending to the minutiae of red tape and meetings to make this a reality.  Ely met with lawyers, judges,
social workers, filled out paperwork, scanned documents for the medical team and spent hours with Presli preparing him for this
procedure.  

Staying the course through the transition from Sr. Almonacid as Director of Aldea del Rosario, through a temporary director and finally
getting the new director up to speed, Ely has worked tirelessly, depsite running her own charity in another city!  

Ely, te agradescemos muchisimo.  Sin ti, no hay PeruDonations Corporation.  En ti tenemos toda nuestra fe y un oceano de
cariño.

*The "One Life at a Time" Benefit concert is officially on!  
September 1 at Don Ho's Island Grill at the Aloha Tower
Marketplace in Honoulu, HI, PeruDonations will join The 808 Scene Zine at a party to close out the summer!  Four bands, including
Missing Dave, Grand Theft Audio, Pimpbot and Max Murdoch & the Northern Soul Project will entertain you from 9:30 until the bar
kicks us out at 2!  Opening the show will be a capoeira demo by Capoeria Besouro Hawaii, and DJ Mano Lopez will keep the party going
between set with his own collection of Latino rythms.

* Also, that night will celebrate the release our first compilation benefit CD, produced by Pass Out Records, entitled "One Life at a
Time".  Seems like a running theme...
Check in often to see how you, too, can own this priceless treasure!

* Merardo turned 16 last month!  With donations from our supporters, we were able to get him an orthopedic mattress and pillow, so
that he no longer has to sleep on the bare ground, some books, refills for his medical supplies and even a get a Birthday cake!  It's true, a
small amount of dollars sure goes a long way in Perú.  

¡FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS, MERARDO!

* We were contacted several months ago by a teacher from the East Coast who was considering a one-month stay in Perú, working at Ely
and Nilton's school program.  Karen Doolittle did a bit more than that!  She was gracious enough to purchase and hand deliver vitamins,
protein powder and some medical supplies to Merardo.  While she was there, she experienced quite an adventure, arriving in country to
find her luggage lost and a country-wide transportation strike!  Welcome to Perú!  

Thankfully, her delay was short and she safely arrived in Chupaca to face a teacher's strike, a farmer's strike and clashes with police in the
city square.  Must be summer in Peru!  She soon acclimated (both to the political and seasonal) environment and went to work. Her month
was over quickly and she has returned home.  Read the details of her visit on her
blog.

Karen, thank you for going to help out our friends at PLE.  We saw the pictures of the parade and the view from the house.  Thank you so
much for sharing that with us. Thank you also for getting those supplies to Mr. Merardo.  We hope you will return soon!
For more news between the news, see the blog