Breast Cancer Walk: Photos

On 11 September a team of IWAV ladies participated in a Walk Against Breast Cancer organized within the frameworks of Vilnius Mini Marathon. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of breast cancer and raise funds. Part of the participation fee will be donated to Avon Breast Cancer Foundation

We were blessed with beautiful sunny weather on that day which made the whole experience even more joyful. The atmosphere at the starting line was electric and very exciting. After cheering for parents with strollers and for marathoners who had been running since early morning a crowd of mini-marathon participants got ready to race. Pink balloons were handed out to be released at the sound of the start gun shot which made for a pretty scene. Some of us did a bit of jogging mixed with walking which proved to be a great exercise. I think everyone liked this experience and there was talking about participating next year and maybe doing even more of that running or jogging.

Many thanks to Erin for organizing our team and making stylish T-Shirts with a Breats Cancer Awareness logo and message on the back.

Enjoy the photos below!














Written and Posted by Galina
Photos by Galina and Susan

New Events and Some Photos

September is an exciting and busy month here at IWAV! First of all the beginning of autumn is like an opening season for international community for socializing, attending various events and activities. In addition to the excitement of everyone returning back to Vilnius from holidays :-D there are really many new things going on in IWAV: coffee morning with a lot of new members in attendance, new weekly event CAC (which stands for cake and coffee), cocktails at Radisson (an evening not to be missed), trip to Kaliningrad, playgroup resuming its activity, lunch bunches at new restaurants, and finally sushi-making social! It seems life cannot be more busy and fun!!

Of course, I am looking forward to all of the upcoming events and especially to the sushi-making class! Cooking events are one of my favorite IWAV activities. For example cooking with Lidija Rasutis - a famous Lithuanian cook who has her own TV cooking program was an amazing event. Recently 2 more cooking sessions were organized for IWAV members. One of them was a baking weekend at Toni's and Cia's professional bakery facilities. I take the chance to post the belated photos below!

The other event was organized by a talented passionate cook Sigrid who has a beautiful and very inspiring blog. Check it out here www.sigridsbeste.de ! I hope to get some photos from that event soon as well!

Unfortunately I have never had a chance for one reason or another to participate in such an event yet. But I am planning to attend the sushi-making class- I absolutely love sushi! Promise to post photos!

PHOTOS from BAKING WEEKEND








Written and posted by Galina

For more information about IWAV or the new events, please contact Keti Tsami at aikaterinitsami6 (@) gmail.com or Barbara Little at barbsvilnius (@) gmail.com

Blossom of Hope: Handover of Biopsy Needles

On 20th June Mike and I visited Kaunas hospital and met up with Ruta from Roche to deliver a plaque and the biopsy needles. Kaunas University hospital has now merged with the Veterinarian hospital and they seem very happy about it. It was great to see all the Doctors again and to hear that they are so much more positive about the future.

Delivering Biopsy Needles to Kaunas Hospital
On the 1st July we visited Klaipeda hospital and took our friends with us. There we met up with Odeta from Roche and again met our friends the doctors. The news was again more positive but Klaipeda does not seem to get as much assistance from the government as Kaunas or Vilnius. What we did learn from all the hospitals was that the government will only pay for a consultation not the biopsy needles. The patient either has to pay herself or, in some cases, the hospital will make the purchase. Needless to say, this means that the biopsy needles and machines that we provide are extremely important.

Handover of Certificate and Needles to Klaipeda hospital
We then spent the next few days visiting Palanga and Nida and Juodkranta.

On the 8th July we visited Siauliai hospital and met up with Rima from Roche. Irina our charity co-ordinator, who was the driving force behind our Blossom of Hope event, also came with us. This was a first time visit to this hospital and it was great. They knew nothing about us or our organisation and wanted to know everything so it turned into a long visit.

Visiting Siauliai Hospital



Biopsy Needle Machine
Barbara Little,
IWAV Chair

Charity Visits: Women's Shelter, Infants Orphanage and Kids Care Home

One of the most important parts (if not the most important) to IWAV is its charity work. Thanks to our members we have helped and keep supporting those in need. There have been so many charity projects, I cannot keep up posting reports and photos. At the end of May, thanks to donations from IWAV members, several deliveries of clothes and other items to a shelter and orphanages have been organized by IWAV charity coordinator Irina Tuminiene.

First visit that day was to Shelter for Women and Kids (Vilniaus miesto motinos ir vaiko pensionas) IWAV tries to regularly provide support to the women and kids living at the shelter. IWAV charity coordinator Irina Tuminiene delivered several bags full of women’s clothes donated by IWAV members and American International School of Vilnius. Later she received a thank you call saying that all the women appreciated this help. This donation not only proved of material help to them but also raised their spirits.




Keti Tsami and I joined Irina and her husband Arturas to visit two more locations: Vilnius Infants Orphanage (Vilniaus sutrikusio vystymosi kūdikių namai) and Vilnius Child Care Home (Vilniaus 3-ieji vaikų globos namai)

At Infants Orphanage we visited 2 kids’ living areas. The first one consisted of 2 rooms and was for little disabled kids and the other was one room with something like a play pen in the center for tiny babies. Photos were not allowed. Staff was busy taking care of the little ones. We also saw galleries of photos on the walls showing babies and little kids living at the orphanage and those who were adopted with their new parents. Infants’ Orphanage mostly needs clothes and diapers for babies and especially Aptamil. Thanks to IWAV playgroup members, we were able to deliver such items! In fact, the need for Aptamil is constant, so IWAV hopes to keep supporting Vilniaus sutrikusio vystymosi kūdikių namai further.






In the second location Vilnius Child Care Home we brought clothes for kids and the staff. We visited many rooms (“groups”) and met a lot of kids of various ages.




We looked around living areas and saw that some of the rooms obviously need renovation. Hopefully this location could become one of the beneficiaries for the International Christmas Charity Bazaar.






We talked a lot with the staff about kids and their lives at the orphanage and the process of adoption and many other issues. Ladies working with the kids were very warm, kind and friendly. They also did their best to create cozy atmosphere in the rooms. It was dinner time and the tables were laid with plates, cups and bread baskets in the middle.







One of the observations was that the kids were not busy reading or doing some activity together. Mostly they were just standing around or each busy with their own things. But it could be becuase of that special before-dinner-time of the day...

At the last “group” kids were very warm, friendly and open and wanted to talk with us. We were especially touched when they asked for hugs and good-bye kisses. A kind lady taking care of the kids told us that she first visited this orphanage when she was 18 and then she decided to dedicate her life to working with these kids. Children asked us to stay longer and asked if we would come back. Of course- we said! We will come back and visit them! This time we will make sure we have some treats!!


Any help will be appreciated. If you would like to offer your help with charity projects or to donate clothes or any other items, please contact Irina Tuminiene.
irina.tum (at) gmail.com


Posted by Galina Soldatenko

Blossom of Hope: Overview and Photos

This year for the third time IWAV joined forces with its partner Roche to organize an annual fundraising event Blossom of Hope. The goal of the event is to raise funds to purchase biopsy needles for several Lithuanian oncology hospitals. It also aims to raise awareness of breast cancer and of importance of timely diagnosis. Percentage of breast cancer cases diagnosed at late stages is still comparatively high in Lithuania. With Blossom of Hope we try to make a difference!




Thanks to the contribution from the sponsors, donations from artists and to the generous spirit of all the attending guests, this year Blossom of Hope raised over 55 000 LTL. These funds will cover the cost of more than 1300 biopsy needles.



Big thanks to all the sponsors and all the guests who listened, heard and understood the need for help and who contributed by donating or by buying a ticket and attending.



You can read a full review and see more photos at Blossom of Hope 2011 page.