On May 6, 2002, a group of Canvasback volunteers watched with satisfaction as the seal was placed on a 20-ft. container filled with $110,000 worth of supplies and equipment destined for the hospital in Pohnpei. After four months of planning and preparation, it was thrilling to see all of the pieces come together in one day.

The Pohnpei Container Project was headed by Canvasback’s medical coordinator, Lauren Petford, RN. Lauren worked tirelessly on the details of collection, transport, storage, inventory and packing of supplies and equipment from up and down the West Coast. Included in the shipment was a portable x-ray and oxymeter needed for the operating room, three examining tables, two incubators, an autoclave, surgical instruments, suction pumps, casting materials, splints, wheelchairs, walkers, IV pumps, cases of IV fluids, and much more.

I addition to providing the hospital with much needed supplies, many of the container’s contents will be utilized by a Canvasback orthopedic team scheduled for September. "The portable x-ray unit is the key to intraoperative assessment during orthopedic surgery," Lauren says. "This and the many other donations of materials and manpower have been answers to prayer for a successful mission."

• Alberta Adventist Community Services Society, Beauvallon, Alberta, Canada

• Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Martinez, CA
  Ron Navarra, Manager, Biomedical Engineering

• Pastor Stephen Heinrich, Waterford SDA Church, Waterford, CA

• MedShare International, Lithonia, GA

• Portland Adventist Hospital, Portland, OR
  Scott Conlee, Chief Technologist

• Carla Romero, Shoebox Missions, Portland, OR

• Donna Silsbee, PT, CWS, Kentfield, CA

• Paula Smookler, Granite Bay, CA

• South Sacramento Kaiser Permanente, Sacramento, CA
  Ron Swehla, Materials Manager

• John Stearns, Calhoun, GA

• Robert Wells, MD, Portland, OR

• 680 Mini & RV Storage, Benicia, CA

• Chipman Moving and Storage, Benicia, CA
  Mike Thurin, Warehouse Manager

• Crossroads Transportation, Benicia, CA
  Bob DeMers, Owner/Operator

• Distefano Insurance Services, Clayton, CA

• Therman Gibson, Vancouver, WA

• Garron Guest, Vancouver, WA

• Pat and Don Hopkins, Battleground, WA

• Scott Ingham, Vallejo, CA

• PM&O Shipping, Portland, OR

• Steve and Monty Rinker, Prather, CA

• Robbie Robertson, N. Palm Springs, CA

• Jim Ruble, Portland, OR

• Seariver Martime, Inc., Benicia, CA
  Bryce McCoy, Warehouse Manager

• Teamsters Joint Council No. 7, San Francisco, CA
  Chuck Mack, President &
  Lou Marini, President, Commercial Drivers Education Program

• Tom Weig, DDS, Mariposa, CA

Scott Conlee, of Portland Adventist Hospital, was instrumental in getting the portable x-ray donated to Canvasback, presents Lauren with hundreds of dollars worth of x-ray film.

Consistently a tremendous help to Canvasback over the years, Garron Guest, Vancouver, WA, assisted Lauren in loading the portable x-ray into the truck for transport.

Bryce McCoy, warehouse manager for Seariver Maritime, Inc. in Benicia, CA, provided the use of their warehouse facility and forklift.  Bryce and Seariver have also been great supporters of Canvasback Missions over the years.

After four months of hard work and preparation, Lauren and the team of volunteers that gathered the container accomplished the task in only one hour!

The team of volunteers who packed the container included (from left): James DeMers, Frank Taylor, Vince Backen and son Matthew, Dale Robbins, Lauren Petford, Steve Hogue, Don Purdey, Mike Thurin, and Bob DeMers.

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