Dearborn, Mich. — A team of 14 Henry Ford College (HFC) nursing students and faculty members are holding fundraisers in late July and August to aid in funding their humanitarian trip to Belize on a mission of mercy in late December through International Service Learning (ISL).

The nursing students will provide acute medical care and health education to vulnerable populations in Belize, a country located on the eastern coast of Central America. Belize is the only country in Central America where the official language is English. 

The nine-day trip is scheduled from Dec. 26, 2016 to Jan. 3, 2017. However, the team needs to raise approximately $40,000 to make this trip and help those in need. This funding will cover the cost of the trip and airfare. 

To help offset these expenses, the HFC team will hold several fundraisers in the Metro Detroit area at various locations on the following dates:
• Wednesday, July 20, at Buffalo Wild Wings, located on 22216 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn. From 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. (open to close), this restaurant will donate 20 percent of its sales to the Belize trip. 
• Thursday, July 28, at Slingers Bar and Grill, located at 11791 Farmington Rd. in Livonia. From 7 to 11 p.m., the nursing students will have a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and will also provide raffle baskets. 
• Saturday, July 30, at Roosevelt Lanes, located at 6701 Roosevelt Ave. in Allen Park. From 7 to 10 p.m., Roosevelt Lanes will host a bowling fundraiser. Tickets are $20, the proceeds of which will go to the Belize trip. The $20 includes three hours of cosmic bowling, bowling shoes, pizza and soft drinks. Additionally, there will be a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.
• Friday, Aug. 12, at JP McGuire’s Bar N Grill, located at 21138 Goddard Rd. in Taylor. Starting at 7 p.m., the nursing students will have a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and will also provide raffle baskets. 
In the last week, the nursing students signed a deal with both the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Tigers to volunteer at home games, running concessions. In the end, the Lions and the Tigers will donate a percentage of sales to the Belize trip.

ISL is a non-governmental organization that offers volunteers practical experiences through medical, education, and community enrichment programs while offering sustainable aid in developing communities. The organization has been around for more than 20 years. ISL teams are open to volunteers who are interested in gaining valuable experience in their chosen field, exploring another culture and assisting those in need. There are areas of Belize where ISL is the sole provider for health services for the community. 

The trip to Belize is spearheaded by Andrea Corrie, of Brownstown. She is an HFC nursing student who is graduating in December and she serves as the liaison between HFC and ISL.

“We are very excited to take our nursing skills to Belize and gain a better appreciation and understanding of community health. Our goals as a nursing team on this trip include experiencing medicine in a new cultural setting, performing assessments and giving proper care to those in need, teaching those in vulnerable situations about proper healthcare and prevention, and continuing our education and getting hands-on experience that will be beneficial to our careers as nurses,” said Corrie. 

If you are interested in helping the team in this effort, please visit the following link to make a donation via VolunteerForever.com: http://www.volunteerforever.com/volunteer_profile/hfc-isl-team-2016.

For questions or further information, please contact Corrie at ISLTeamBelize@yahoo.com.