Saturday, October 20, from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M., at the Alliance Performing Arts Center, Prairie Haven Hospice is hosting a special fund raiser for their partner hospice in Bunda, Tanzania. There will be a free presentation of the film Okuyamba (which means to help) and slides of Prairie Haven Hospice staff members’ visit to Bunda. The film presentations will run continually and can be seen any time from 2:00 to 6:00 P.M. A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the film presentations, with all proceeds going to Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care.

Prairie Haven Hospice has been in partnership with Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care for four years to help sustain its service to the impoverished people in the area. It is a daily financial struggle for Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care to meet the needs of their 500 plus patients and the many children who are left orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Supplies and medicines are extremely limited with one small 5-shelf bookcase holding everything they have to serve their patients.

Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care operates with a very limited part-time staff of two RNs, one chaplain and two social workers. They depend greatly on their volunteers who sometimes transport patients on their bicycles for as many as 20 miles round trip. They are in dire need of replacing these bicycles. In addition to transporting patients, volunteers are doing wound care, training family members to give care and numerous other tasks — all for an extremely small monthly stipend.

Any amount is welcome in raising funds for supplies, medication, food, clothing and for tuition for the orphans. They are lucky if they have the equivalent of Tylenol to give patients suffering from severe cancer pain.

Prairie Haven Hospice appreciates the support of the panhandle community and welcomes everyone to come to this important fundraiser for Bunda Hospice/ Palliative Care. If anyone would like to donate a silent auction item for October 20, please call Beth at 762-6500. Cash donations are also accepted and appreciated.