Clearing Landmines and Aiding Disabled Orphans in Cambodia

Grapes for Humanity Raises Money for Clearing Landmines and Aiding Disabled Orphans in Cambodia

The U.S. Department of State salutes Grapes for Humanity U.S., Inc., a not-for-profit charitable foundation that works in partnership with the Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, for raising $75,000 to help clear persistent landmines and assist disabled orphans, some injured by landmines, in Cambodia.

$50,000 will be directed to The HALO Trust, a non-governmental organization that specializes in landmine clearance, to help clear three minefields in Cambodia. $25,000 will be directed to the Lavalla School orphanage on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

The money was raised at a charity dinner in New York City honoring Mr. Jean-Guillaume Prats, Chief Executive Officer of the Cos d’Estournel vineyards in France, featuring five of his best vintages generously contributed at no cost for this event. G.H. Mumm and Inniskillin also contributed some champagne and wine.

Grapes for Humanity U.S., Inc. is one of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement’s over fifty public-private partners that support humanitarian mine action (landmine and unexploded ordnance clearance, mine risk education, mine survivors assistance).

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs currently manages humanitarian mine action programs in 22 countries around the world including Cambodia, encourages public-private partnerships to support mine action, and oversees efforts to reduce illegal trafficking in and increase international safeguarding of small arms, light weapons and man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). To learn more, visit state.gov/t/pm/wra.

Grapes for Humanity U.S., Inc., based in Toronto, Canada, seeks to improve the lives of survivors of landmines and other accidents and disasters. Through fundraising events centered on the tasting of fine wines, Grapes for Humanity has helped to support the rehabilitation of mine survivors in Angola, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Honduras and Nicaragua. To learn more, visit grapesforhumanity.com/. 2005/494 Released on May 10, 2005 Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC May 10, 2005