2010 "Balikbiyan" Box Project

I am happy to report that the second "Balikbiyan" Philippine Box Project was a huge success! This is a project of the Annapolis Rotaract & Rotary Club. We nearly tripled the number of boxes sent this year compared to 2008's trip and a total of 11 boxes filled with donated clothing, toys and food were distributed to the villagers of Talavera, Philippines. It took roughly 1 year to collect all the donations and prep the boxes for shipping overseas. I would like to thank my friends & family, fellow Rotaractors/Rotarians, and the downtown Annapolis business community for helping me fill these boxes with your donations. I wish everyone could have experienced the joy that day and as you can see from the pictures below, the villagers were extremely grateful.- Keith Villones (Annapolis Rotaract Member)

Rotaract "Balikbayan" Box Program (2008)

(Balikbiyan Project- 2008)
For the months of planning and some very heavy lifting, I can report back that the Annapolis Rotaract's 1st international program was a huge success! I would like to thank those who generously made donations and also thank those in Rotary/Rotaract who helped me make my dream a reality.

For those of you who are not familiar with Annapolis Rotaract or with the term "Balikbayan", let me explain. The Filipino term "Balikbayan" means simply to "return back home". It is customary in our culture, for a returning Filipino-Americans or "Fil-Am" to bring home gifts/donations to those we left behind. In past trips with my father, we would be lucky to fill just one box of donated clothes, canned meats and children toys/candy. With the help of my new Annapolis Rotaract Club, we were able to ship a total of 5 boxes! (And we didn't stop there) I had so many donations that it flooded into my personal luggage/carry-on, to the point where I only traveled with enough clothes for myself to last just a couple of days.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures and videos of that special day. I wish everyone could experience looking into the eyes of these children when I handed them just a simply toy or t-shirt. They were so appreciative and very happy because sadly in some parts of the Philippines, a second pair of shoes or even a toy is a luxury that many cannot afford. It is our wish as Rotactors to continue this international program in the future.

Thank you,
Keith Villones