When Cedric of Cape to Cairo Safaris invited me to attend the 2013 Tennessee Valley SCI Hunting Gala, little did I know that during the live auction I would be buying a red stag hunt in Argentina in early 2014. As the owner-operator of Double Boar Ranch in Pennsylvania, I have become an avid bow hunter and looked forward to this new adventure.
Fast forward to the 2014 Tennessee Valley Chapter event where I learned about the SCIF SafariCare blue bag program. Alejandro of TGB Outfitters, with whom I was hunting, recommended a school that could use the items contained in the blue bag.
Located in the small town of Loventuel, the school is called Escuela Hogar No. 56. This is a boarding school where all of the children are orphans. My group included Julio Suaya Demaria (host of Alejandro), John P. O'Brien of O'Brien Electric of Masury, Ohio and Robert Multari, D.O., of Farrell, PA. The blue bag was full of toys and supplies and cash donations from some of the other hunters in the lodge who heard about our trip. Julio arranged for an account for the school to be established at the local store to ensure the cash would be available for the children.
When we arrived at the school, Monica the principal greeted us 
warmly. She took us to the playground in the rear of the school where she brought the children, ranging in age from 5 to 12, to meet us. This was hands down the most rewarding part of our trip. We distributed the toys to each child, played soccer and spoke with the children who were very appreciative, but also inquisitive, wanting to know our names and where we were from. Each child hugged us and thanked us for the supplies. We would have liked to stay longer and if I get the chance to return to the area, I will extend my visit time, in order to get to know the children better. I recommend anyone who stops by the school to plan on spending more time with the children. Bring lunch and get to know them.РWilliam “Buster” Snyder
