PRESS RELEASE

June 01, 2007

USTS Golden Bear Visits Da Nang May 31-June 3

The U.S. Training Ship (USTS) Golden Bear of the Maritime Academy of California State University arrived in Da Nang City on Thursday, May 31 for a four day visit. The Golden Bear, crewed by 260 cadets/midshipmen and 45 officers and crew, delivered humanitarian cargo in Da Nang, including a new mobile dental clinic, neonatal infant warmers, and a cardiac bypass machine, along with other donated items.
 
“We are so fortunate to have the Golden Bear open up its cargo hold to such a large amount of medical and other humanitarian equipment,” said Consul General Seth Winnick, who also noted “Americans are very interested in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Vietnam.”  The Consul General spoke at the Humanitarian Cargo Handover Ceremony in Da Nang on June 1, organized by the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and the government of Da Nang city. 

The dental van will be used in the East Meets West Foundation’s mobile dental outreach program, which reaches over 10,000 poor elementary school students in central Vietnam each year.  The infant warmers will be donated to the national pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology hospitals in Hanoi, and the cardiac bypass machine will aid Nhi Dong 1 Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.  In addition, the crew from the USTS Golden Bear, joined by U.S. Consul General Seth Winnick, also visited EMW’s Village of Hope orphanage on May 31 to present 150 children with donated clothing and funds. 

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