This is a wonderful thing you're doing Patrick. I would of liked to have met Hector, he was so happy when I worked him from DE for completion of his 13 colonies on satellite certificate! I'm feeling very sorry I'm not going to be down there for the Symposium, I'm visiting the Orlando area first week of November for a Disney vacation, as we just couldn't get our time share the week of the symposium. May I suggest you accept donations via PayPal as a gift? Just let me know your PayPal account I can send my donation to...
73 Jeff kb2m
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 16:30 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] CO6CBF to Symposium - update (16 October)
Hi!
Since I first posted about Hector CO6CBF coming to the AMSAT Symposium in Orlando next week, I have received lots of e-mails showing appreciation for this effort. Thanks to everyone for their support! I wanted to mention that I have already received some checks at my mailbox today, in response to the request I made for donations to help with the expenses related to Hector's trip. I won't list names and calls, but here is what arrived so far:
$200 check from Texas $ 25 check from Arkansas $ 20 check from Alabama
Along with a $50 check I received from Tennessee some time ago before I went public with this effort on the -BB, this means I have already received $295 toward Hector's trip. Since I have not had time to scribble a web page related to this, I will post updates here on the -BB and my Twitter feed updates related to Hector's trip. I do not intend on making public a list of names and calls of those who have contributed, as a few have asked for anonymity - which I will respect. All contributions are appreciated, no matter how big or small.
A couple of hams have asked me if I would accept contributions in person at the Symposium next week. This would be OK with me. In person, cash would also be acceptable. You could send me cash through the mail, but all standard disclaimers regarding cash sent through the mail apply.
Hector sent an e-mail out this morning to me and a few others. He is back in his home city Cienfuegos, after a quick trip to Havana so he could pick up his passport with its newly-issued US visa at the US "embassy" (formally called the US Interests Section, which operates as a branch of the Swiss embassy in Havana due to the lack of diplomatic relations between the USA and Cuba) yesterday morning. Hector delivered his passport to a Cuban immigration office in Cienfuegos today, so his Cuban travel permit can also be put into his passport. He should be able to pick that up tomorrow, and then he has all the government-issued documentation needed to make the trip - and I can purchase his air ticket for the flights between Havana and Miami.
That's all for now. Things are falling into place, with not much time remaining until the Symposium. For those not able to make it to Orlando, I'm sure there will be photos and videos posted from the Symposium featuring Hector. More on that later.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
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