From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — Project El Crucero from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, donated a 2002 F-350 ambulance with a new motor to the South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) Foundation recently to be utilized for the college’s emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic programs.
Project El Crucero is a non-profit volunteer organization designed to help elevate the wellness of the people of Nicaragua. It was created when two Colorado families visited El Crucero on a mission trip and volunteered at the Susie Syke medical clinic assisting volunteer doctors and dentists and participating in a feeding program. Laura and Sean Toner, and Sara and JamieHendren realized the village’s needs were too great to stop giving once they returned to America, so they started the non-profit known as Project El Crucero.
The group planned to provide the clinic with a working ambulance, but due to unforeseen circumstances, were unable to get the ambulance delivered to Nicaragua. A chance meeting with a supporter of SGTC led to the ambulance being donated to the SGTC Foundation so that it could be used to train individuals studying in the college’s EMT and paramedic programs.
“I am very thankful that Project El Crucero felt strongly enough about South Georgia Technical College and the relationships that we have built with different partners and supporters to donate this ambulance,” said SGTC President John Watford, Ed.D. “I am sorry that the organization was unable to get the ambulance to the people of Nicaragua, but I can promise that we will put this vehicle and supplies to good use, training our students so that they can one day give back to others in need.”
The motto of Project El Crucero is: “The people in one of Nicaragua’s poorest villages are rich with the dreams of a better future. Our work is dedicated to helping and giving hope to the people of El Crucero.”
“South Georgia Technical College is also dedicated to giving hope to our students and helping them realize their dreams for a better future,” said Su Ann Bird, SGTC vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the SGTC Foundation. “We appreciate this donation and it will allow South Georgia Tech to have an ambulance on both the Americus and the Crisp County Center campuses for the students to train with.”
The F-350 ambulance has a new motor and everything is in working order to be utilized as a training vehicle for the South Georgia Technical College EMT and paramedic students.
For more information about these and other medical programs at South Georgia Technical College visit the website at www.southgatech.edu. For more information about Project El Crucero visit https://www.projectelcrucero.org/.