December 2015

 PROGRAMS | CHAMP ZONE FOR KIDS | STORIES | HOW TO HELP
IN THIS ISSUE OF THE MINE DOG MESSENGER
​ Happy Holidays! Give the gift
►
that keeps on giving by donating
to MLI
►Bosnia: Sniffing out explosives
►Lebanon: MDD Team of Year ►CHAMPS updates:
Connecticut, Bosnia, and Yemen
►Clearing the Path Gala:
Highlights
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Give a gift that keeps on giving by donating in honor of a loved one
this holiday season! The holidays are fast approaching and making a tax-deductible donation to MLI this
season is a wonderful way to make a difference in the world and honor someone
special in your life. Even a small gift will have a huge impact and can save lives. Did
you know that just $5 provides the support needed to help a mine detection dog
search more than 2,000 square feet of land? With each donation made in their honor, your loved ones will receive a free holiday
card (like the one above) from the Marshall Legacy Institute that describes the impact
that the donation is making on the lives of men, women, and children living in minecontaminated areas.
If you cannot make a donation at this time, please help this holiday season by
sharing this newsletter and spreading the word about the Marshall Legacy Institute
(MLI) to friends and family.
We deeply appreciate your kindness and generosity. Please know that your support
benefits thousands of people — whose names you likely will never know and faces
you will never see — but who will be able to walk, play, and work on safe land
because of your support. Thank you so very much.
GIVE NOW
►For more information visit http://marshall-legacy.org/how_to_help/ >>
PROGRAM UPDATES
BOSNIA: Sniffing out explosives Over the past 11 years, MLI has donated 31 life-saving Mine Detection Dogs (MDDs)
to Bosnia and Herzegovina. These dogs have searched nearly 2 million square
meters of mine-contaminated land, impacting thousands of lives.
Five MDDs are currently working with the Federal Administration of Civilian Protection
(FACP), which recently undertook a large and complex bomb disposal operation in
the town of Bosanska Otoka in western Bosnia. The 500-pound bomb was airdropped during WWII and was found during a routine excavation for phone lines in
the town. Due to its dangerous condition and close proximity to homes, the bomb had
to be rendered safe and
destroyed in situ. This involved
evacuating nearly 5,000 people
from the town and erecting a
barrier of 55,000 sand bags,
weighing 3,000 tons, to protect
the nearby homes from the
explosion! The MDDs were
instrumental in assisting the
FACP during the town’s
evacuation to guarantee that
only designated personnel remained. Following the successful detonation of the bomb, the MDDs searched the
surrounding area to ensure that no dangerous explosive residue was left behind and
rendered the town safe for residents to return. It was an incredibly successful, albeit
unusual, operation, and Sead Vrana, the Chief of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Dept. reported that, thanks to their careful work and the 55,000 sandbags, "not a
single window was cracked" when the bomb exploded, despite its very close
proximity to homes!
Our MDDs with handlers during the bomb disposal operation
LEBANON: MDD Team of the Year MDD Joan and Sergeant Soleh named MLI's " MDD Team of the Year" During this year's 18th Annual Clearing the Path Gala, MDD Joan and her handler
Sergeant Ahmad Soleh were honored with the Marshall Legacy Institute's "MDD
Team of Year" award. MDD Joan was sponsored by the Hilda and Preston Davis
Foundation in 2010 and donated to the Lebanon Mine Action Center. Together with
Soleh, she has searched more than 68,000 square meters of land!
Sergeant Soleh is incredibly fond of MDD Joan - the bond between them, as well as
the respect they have for each other, is very strong. Not only has
MDD Joan exhibited superior performance in the field, but together with Soleh, who is
passionate and dedicated to his work, they are one of the strongest MDD teams in
Lebanon. "Since the day I saw Joan, I
loved her. I knew we would
be a great team together. A
special bond was created
between us, which helped
me a lot during the training
at first, and now in the mine
fields, as well...I have total
confidence in her work." Sergeant Soleh
MDD Joan and Soleh were invited to the United States for our annual Gala, and while
here, they visited one of the local CHAMPS schools, Glenelg Country School, in
Maryland. Students at Glenelg Country School met Joan and Soleh, who
demonstrated the type of work they do together and its impact on the daily lives of
people in Lebanon. After the visit, students sent kind thank you notes and drawings to
Soleh and MDD Joan! ​
CHILDREN AGAINST MINES PROGRAM (CHAMPS)
CHAMPS CAMPAIGNS CONTINUE MLI's Children Against Mines Program (CHAMPS) continues to thrive, connecting
children in mine-affected countries with youth in the United States, enabling them to
communicate via video conference on a regular basis and engage in service learning
projects. Participating American students have sponsored 35 of the 205 life-saving
mine detection dogs that MLI has donated to 11 war-torn countries around the world
and have helped hundreds of children who have been injured by landmines. Below are highlights of a few of the amazing campaigns around the world to
support CHAMPS.
Celebrating 10 years of the CHAMPS- CT campaign: MLI's CHAMPS team
visited Greenwich, CT, November 5-7 to
support on-going CHAMPS fundraising
efforts and celebrate 10 years of the
CHAMPS campaign in Connecticut.
Throughout the 10 years, Greenwich
kids have sponsored 10 life-saving dogs,
and they are well on their way to
sponsoring an 11th MDD! During this
visit, MLI gave presentations at 6 local
schools, conducted interviews with
reporters, and addressed local
Rotarians.
Gift of warmth: students from Glenelg
Country School made fleece blankets for
mine survivors in Yemen, which were
delivered to survivors at the Yemeni
Association of Landmine Survivors. ​
CHAMPS Bosnia: Recently, CHAMPS Team members from three CHAMPS
schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina
visited the home of a landmine survivor
named Marinko Tomic, who received a
prosthetic leg through CHAMPS earlier
this fall. The children fed the chickens,
harvested vegetables, tilled the garden
and cleaned Mr. Tomic's yard. CHAMPS
Managers, Marija and Leila, explained to
Mr. Tomic that the children and teachers
not only wanted to provide him with
a prosthetic limb, but also wanted to get
to know him, to help him do things that
he might not be able to do easily for
himself, and to let him know that he has
not been forgotten. Mr. Tomic was visibly
moved by their kind offerings of
friendship and assistance.
CHAMPS schoolchildren in Kreševo
also made an informative video about
the dangers of landmines, which you can
watch here on YouTube. IF YOU KNOW A SCHOOL OR GROUP
that would be interested in participating in CHAMPS,
►Please email us at [email protected] for more information
about the program and its benefits for children around the world. You can also learn
more at the new CHAMPS Zone on MLI's website! All of the youth participating in CHAMPS campaigns are working very hard to raise
funds to sponsor mine detection dogs and to help mine survivors, and MLI is so
proud of what they are accomplishing. If you would like to support their efforts, please
consider making a donation to their campaigns - each is listed on MLI's website and
donations can be designated to particular CHAMPS campaigns.​
CLEARING THE PATH GALA: highlights
This year's 18th annual Clearing the Path Gala event was held on October 20th at
the elegant Fairmont Hotel in Washington D.C. It was a huge success thanks to the
continued support of our donors and sponsors, raising hundreds of thousands of
dollars! These generous contributions will support MLI's programs around the world
and will help eliminate the devastating effects of landmines on innocent people and
animals. MLI is incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the
many participants and contributors. Our work towards creating a world free of mines
would not be possible without your help. We would also like to extend our thanks to
all of this year's sponsors and especially our Title sponsor, General Dynamics, whose
contributions impact thousands of people around the world. Please see below for photos from this year's Clearing the Path Gala. More photos
are also available on our website. Thank you once again ​and we hope to see you
at our 2016 Clearing the Path Gala on October 12, 2016!
General Gordon Sullivan, USA (Ret.), Public Policy Honoree Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), and MLI President Perry F. Baltimore III
General Dynamics VP, Dan Johnson, Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mrs. Blumenthal, with CHAMPS Honorees Ms. Julie Cofone and Henry Harris, and CHAMPS Founder Mrs. Diana Enzi
Sergeant Soleh and MDD Joan receive the MDD Team of the Year Award from General Sullivan and Perry Baltimore
Stan Brown with 2015 Survivor Honoree, Bekele Gonfa, and Ken Rutherford
Captain Larkin O'Hern receives the 2015 Survivors Award from General Sullivan
Your donation will help us improve the lives of thousands of people around the
world and enable entire communities to prosper without the fear of landmines. Thank-you!
#45559
Visit: www.marshall-legacy.org Call: (703) 243-9200 ​2425 Wilson Boulevard #240 | Arlington | Virginia | 22201