On Tuesday, July 10, the Habitat Improvement Team (HIT) took a break from working on trails and in wetlands to assemble a shipment of aid for Romania.
Since 2002, Whistler-Blackcomb and Whistler Rotary have sent aid shipments to one the poorest parts of that country, the Petrosani. The region has a population of about 70,000 and sits in a mountainous area with high unemployment and few social services since the fall of the Nicolae Ceausescu government in 1989.
To date Whistler-Blackcomb has contributed more than 20,000 winter clothing items to the Romanian aid project, as well as items like computers, books, and medical supplies donated by the Whistler Health Care Centre.
The good news is that things are turning around for Romania following its acceptance into the European Union in January, and the economy is slowly turning around in the Petrosani region as well.
The next HIT project on the agenda is on Tuesday, July 24, with volunteers doing some erosion control work, garbage clean-up and pruning on the Singing Pass trail. Four more projects are planned, on Aug. 7, Aug. 21, Sept. 4, and Sept. 18.
To take part, meet at the base of Blackcomb Mountain, outside of Merlin’s, at 5:45 p.m., dressed to work outside. Projects are wrapped up in under three hours, returning to Merlin’s for refreshments.
