Last night, we were delighted to host our third annual event at Saratoga National Golf Club. The generous support of Kupona’s sponsors and the Saratoga Springs-area community helped us raise over $47,000 to provide life-saving and life-changing healthcare services to children living with disabilities, women and newborns.

The foursome from Beebe Financial Services preparing to golf for good.

We were so fortunate to have a beautiful day for our golfers and guests. Teams golfed for health and hope on Saratoga National’s stunning golf course, and were joined by friends and family in the evening for a cocktail reception and live music from local artist Leah Woods.

Competition was fierce at the silent auction table, and one lucky raffle winner became the new owner of a piece live painted by artist David Hill. The very popular Mabinti Centre items were featured for a third year and were quickly snatched up by guests.

Guests listening to the evening’s remarks

During the evening’s remarks, Kupona’s Executive Director, Abbey Seaboyer Kocan shared an update on the impact our local community has had on the lives of people we are serving in Tanzania. She contrasted how a child born with a birth defect in the U.S. can access necessary medical care, and in many cases you would never know that child was born with a disability. In Tanzania, disability can be a life sentence to poverty. A child born with clubfoot, like Lita, will become permanently disabled and trapped in a cycle of poverty if she is unable to access quality care. That is where Kupona’s supporters and friends come in. $47,000 could provide 293 children just like Lita with the treatment they need to run, walk, and go to school.

One of the most important aspects of Kupona’s work is our focus on sustainability, helping our Tanzanian partner, CCBRT, on the journey toward becoming a social enterprise. We are doing this by harnessing the demand for high quality healthcare in Tanzania’s growing middle class, and providing an in-country opportunity for them to receive high quality services such as cataract surgeries and knee replacements. Clients are willing and able to pay more for ‘premium’ services (which are appointment based and offer an air-conditioned waiting room, for example) allowing us to provide subsidized and free care for those who cannot afford it.

Not only are we focused on financial sustainability, but also embedding high quality care and practices into the existing Tanzanian healthcare system. Our community’s generosity will help us continue to equip clinical teams with the live-saving skills they need to provide expert, quality care to women and newborns in need. By training healthcare workers to train others, we ensure that quality of care will be available for years to come.

A huge thank you goes to our generous Patron sponsors, The Gorman Group and WCC, LCC.

Thanks to our Ally Sponsors Beebe Financial Services, D.A. Collins, Tom & Laurie Longe, Bob & Denise Schwed and Steve & Debby Seaboyer.

And with thanks to our Bar Sponsor Galusha & Sons, LLC, our Event Sponsors Tim & Liz Ostrander and Bob and Mary Grace Manz, and our Friend of Kupona sponsors.

We are also grateful for the amazing staff at Saratoga National Golf Club, our golf committee, Tom Longe and Steve Seaboyer, and Leah Woods and David Hill for making the event such a success.

We invite you to stay involved with this work. Why? Because it’s your support that is breaking the cycle of poverty for thousands of people in Tanzania. Here’s how you can help:

Help us provide high quality maternal healthcare to more mothers and newborns in Tanzania

We have a goal of raising another $10,000 to enable us to invest in what it will take to ensure that the opening of our new Maternity & Newborn Hospital in 2019 is a success, and to reach more children with the care they need today.

  • Donate today! A gift of $160 will support a child living with a disability, improve their mobility and give them the chance to learn and play.
  • Join us with a donation of $5,000 to help us make the necessary investments in start up costs for the new maternity hospital.
  • Learn more! Check out your impact in our newly released 2017 Annual Report.
  • Reach out to someone who might want to learn more: a friend, colleague, minister, or neighbor.
  • Follow us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter

We’re so proud to call Saratoga Springs home and so grateful for the incredible generosity and support of this community.  Thank you.