Letter from the President

Dear Friends of Colombia,

 Congratulations to the members of Colombia Group 1, who were honored at Rutgers University recently. As you may or may not know, Colombia 1 was the first group to go into training, and they trained at Rutgers. Although the first group to arrive at their site was Ghana I, Colombia 1 has clearly identified itself as the FIRST to enter training, The Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife in Washington, D.C., June 30 to July 4, 2011, will feature Peace Corps and highlight Colombia.

NPCA asked its affiliate groups to sign a letter to President Obama asking for increased funding for Peace Corps, which added 1,000 volunteers to the Corps in 2010. In hopes that the numbers will continue to grow, FOC gladly signed the letter.

The Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington, D.C., June 30 to July 4, 2011, will feature Peace Corps and highlight Colombia. Be sure not to miss it if you are in town.

The 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps is upon us. Make your plans now to come to Washington to celebrate and renew friendships. This is an exciting time for all of us and one we can be very proud of. The Peace Corps experience changed our lives in many ways and touched many people as a result.

What is FOC planning for the 50th celebration? Here are our tentative plans.
Friday, September 23: Country Update panel discussion and, in the evening, a social event—reception and/or dinner dance.
Saturday, September 24: NPCA has programs planned and a gala event in the evening.
Sunday, September 25: a parade of nations to Arlington Cemetery and a program to follow.

More information on these events will be on the NPCA website and FOC website, friendsofcolombia.org. Please include FOC in your end-of-year donations. A description of our fundraising campaign is in this newsletter.

Happy Holidays! Good health and happiness for the New Year.

Arleen Stewart Cheston
President, Friends of Colombia