New ambulance for Aruba Red Cross

The Aruba Red Cross (ARC), overseas branch of the Netherlands Red Cross, has a brand new ambulance.

The keys to the vehicle were presented February 13 to ARC honorary president, Governor Fredis Refunjol, by representatives of Aruba Way Foundation (AWF).
The ambulance was parked on the compound of

Valero Marketing & Supply – Aruba NV, whose employees started AWF and contributed 97,000 florins to the financing of the ambulance.

From Valero’s compound, the imported ambulance was escorted by the police to the governor’s residence, where he was presented with the keys. He immediately turned these over to Marieta Wanopa, who is responsible for the ARC’s volunteers.

Other companies that assisted in the acquisition were Viking Freight Services Miami, Gomez Enterprises (King Ocean), Viking Freight Aruba, and ASTEC, which all assisted in transporting the ambulance to Aruba free of charge; Aruba Government Minister Nilo Swaen, who supported the project by exempting import duties; Fast Signs, which designed the Red Cross emblem free of charge and placed it on the ambulance; and Yrausquin and Sons, the dealer that ordered the ambulance and granted a considerable discount.

After the transfer of the ambulance to the ARC, Mrs. Wanopa offered a poster and a tee-shirt of the Faces campaign to Mr Refunjol and ARF representatives. The ARC hoped to have about 500 people wearing the tee-shirts during the Grand Carnival Parade on February 18.

The ambulance was immediately put into action, and helped save a life during the Parada di Flambeu or Torch Parade.