Rotarians revving up to take emergency vehicles to Mexico

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on April 11, 2023.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Los Amigos Project past coordinator Karl Samuels, at left, Rotary Club of Olds members Donna and Randy Smith and project member Henry Van Hierden stand next to decommissioned emergency vehicles set to go to Mexico next weekend.

Eight Rotary members from southern Alberta are set to depart for Mazatlán, Mexico on the 11th annual Los Amigos Project this weekend.

The initiative started when Rotarians were travelling in Mexico and in discussion with Mexican counterparts, realized there was a need for emergency vehicles.

In the past 12 years, Rotarians have been taking decommissioned emergency vehicles to communities in Mexico in need of them, a total of 57 to date. Seven vehicles were taken last year.

Rotarians seek donated decommissioned vehicles from their municipalities.

“A need was established and so Rotary, you know they took action, and they just really reached out to the Rotary clubs in Alberta to talk to the people in the municipalities because those are the people that own the vehicles,” said Randy Smith of the Olds Rotary club, this year’s Los Amigos project co-ordinator.

“Each Rotary Club goes out and talks to their municipal councillors, their mayors, their reeves. And it’s through donations generally that we’re able to acquire these vehicles.”

The project will see Rotarians deliver two decommissioned fire trucks from Brooks and area, a handi-van donated by Southland Transportation from Calgary and a Pincher Creek ambulance to Mexico.

“We have four vehicles,” said Smith.

“This is a smaller trip. COVID’s taken its toll on fundraising and so we’re living within our means. But generally, we’ll take up to seven vehicles at a time. Four’s actually quite manageable, it’s kind of a nice change. But there is a need in Mexico in the smaller communities. They don’t have the tax base to support buying these vehicles new.”

“They’re well treated and this is one of the things that we’re really proud of through Rotary is that when the vehicles arrive in Mexico, part of the deal of a community getting a fire truck, ambulance (and) buses is that they will maintain it,” said Smith.

“And they have to sign a contract to this effect with the Rotary Club of Mazatlán. If they don’t maintain the vehicles, the vehicles go back to Mazatlán and then they’re redistributed. That hasn’t happened. In fact, I’m always amazed when we go to Mazatlán and one of the first things that we see when we arrive there, we’re met by the Mazatlán Fire Department and they have a truck from Grande Prairie that’s been there since 1992. This is a truck that was taken out of service because it was too old in Canada, has been down there for 20 or 30 years, and is immaculate.”

Smith describes the journey like a family trip.

“This is one of the highlights for me in being a Rotarian is that we have people from a number of different clubs and obviously dynamics of the individuals,” said Smith.

“The goal here is to do good in the community and so everybody’s really excited about going.”

This will personally be Smith’s fourth trip.

The Los Amigos Project was founded by the Lethbridge Sunrise Rotary Club.

“It takes a team and so there are Rotary clubs from all over Alberta that step up and assist with this,” said Smith.

The Rotarians will depart from the Canadian Tire South on April 16 and will drive the 4,000-kilometre trek to Mazatlán in a week.