View Pictures of the CAI Project here

In 2006, the Calvin Ayre Foundation launched a very special project at the Centro de Atención Integral (CAI, Special Attention Center), in the town of Guadalupe.

The CAI is a public educational center that tends to almost 300 children every year. The students at the center come from very different social backgrounds, but they are primarily children living in poverty or with mental or physical and motor disabilities such as dystrophies, cerebral palsy, and Batten syndrome.

The Foundation is seriously committed to helping these children, and for the past two years it has put tremendous effort and dedication into giving them a wonderful Christmas party.

Everyone at the Foundation is devoted to achieving common goals, including giving these children an unforgettable party full of surprises, so that they too can have a merry Christmas. These parties feature the presence of clowns and face make-up artists, as well as special food for the children, like bags full of apples and grapes.

And what Christmas would be complete without Santa Claus, who hands out gifts tailored to the needs of each one of the boys and girls at the party. These gifts are carefully chosen by the Foundation, which draws up a list of special toys for children whose disabilities require them to play with very specifically designed toys.

In 2006, the Calvin Ayre Foundation decided to contribute to a very deserving cause, the Teletón. This international event is held every year in Costa Rica and abroad during the first days of December.

Its goal is to raise funds for handicapped children through various charitable actions with the help of presentations from nationally and internationally recognized performers.

The 2006 edition of the Costa Rican Teletón was aimed at raising funds for the construction of a new site for the National Children’s Hospital, which boasts the most advanced medical technology in Central America.

This cause is very meaningful for the Foundation as it promotes empathy and compassion, which are fundamental virtues of our mandate. For this reason, the Foundation made a donation of CRC 1,476,000, or $3000 US.

One of our priorities at the Calvin Ayre Foundation is to develop a sense of solidarity with the people and help them overcome many of the hardships they might face. In May of 2006, a family from Heredia, Costa Rica, tragically lost two of their members and their entire house to a devastating fire.

The family was left homeless on the street. The Foundation approached the family with an offer that renewed their hope and supported them as they began to rebuild their lives. In an effort to comfort them in their grief, the Foundation donated shelter, basic household appliances and food to the family, relieving some of the stress this family has had to endure.