Inland volunteers help Venezuelan kids in need of cleft-palate surgery

Humanitarian aid trumped international politics recently when 101 Venezuelan children had their cleft palates and lips corrected by Rotaplast International Inc., a nonprofit organization offering free corrective palate surgery to children worldwide. 'We served the 101 children and young adults even though President Hugo Chavez specifically called us imperialists who are trying to destabilize his country,' said Karen Bradford, of Mira Loma, who served as the photojournalist for the trip. More than $65,000 for the mission was raised by Rotary District 5330, which is bounded by western Riverside County, Temecula, Big Bear and Indio. Funds were raised over 1 ½ year period through events such as a chili cook-off at French Valley Airport, and a grant from the Rotary Foundation that matched $12,000 in district funds. The volunteers pay their own expenses.