THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES VISITED VRBAS, CRVENKA AND VETERNIK

Donation of an ambulance vehicle to the Health Center in Vrbas

Belgrade, 14 March 2005 – Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Princess Katherine visited Vrbas, Crvenka and Veternik today, and the Foundation of HRH Princess Katherine delivered an ambulance vehicle “Yugo Florida” to the Health Center in Vrbas, and a donation of food, clothes, shoes, desks and hygienic material to the Home for children hindered in development.

At the very beginning of the visit to the Backa region, Their Royal Highnesses visited the Municipality of Vrbas, where Mr. Zeljko Lainovic with his closest associates wished them a warm welcome. He introduced the dear guests with the results of the development of this town so far, as well as with future plans. Addressing the present, HRH Crown Prince Alexander II pointed out:

“The future of everyone and of your town as well, is with young people. We should help them to gain a quality education, but also, they should be motivated to stay here and help their own people in the best possible way. We must all be united in realizing this. Only in this way can we succeed and be sure that we have a brighter future ahead of us. Our country deserves to be a part of the big European family, because that place rightly belongs to it in the course of its history” – and added, that they can always count on help from the Royal Family.

Afterwards, TRH went to visit the Health Center in Vrbas, where the valuable donation was delivered - an ambulance vehicle “Yugo Florida” that was purchased with a great effort from the Foundation of HRH Princess Katherine. The keys of this vehicle were ceremonially handed over to the director of the Health Center by HRH Crown Prince Alexander II.

Mr. Dusan Komnenovic, director, thanked TRH on behalf of the employees for this valuable present, which will be of great help for the work of the Health Center, and pointed out that Their Royal Highnesses put much effort in helping, not only the Health Center in Vrbas, but also a great number of medical institutions throughout our country.

The present were also addressed by HRH Princess Katherine.

“The ambulance vehicle, which we are handing over to you today, will help you and your everyday fight for human life. Human life is the most valuable thing we have and every effort to save it must be made. That is why the joy of giving is great, when we know that we helped you and your patients. Our heart is always with our people, and we will always be there to alleviate the conditions in which you work” – Princess Katherine pointed out.

Later on, Their Royal Highnesses visited the sugar factory “Crvenka”, and candy factory “Jafa” in Crvenka, where they spent time chatting with the hosts and introduced themselves with the work and results of these two high-tech equipped factories.

At the end of the visit to the Backa region, Their Royal Highnesses visited the Home for children hindered in development, in Veternik, where they delivered a valuable donation of desks, hygienic material, food, clothes and shoes. Mr. Bekic, director, with his closest associates and a great number of children, who live in this Home, wished a warm welcome to the dear guests.

Mr. Bekic, director, thanked the Royal Couple for the valuable donation that resulted from the great humanitarian action of the Foundation of HRH Princess Katherine, in which many good-hearted people from Greece took part, wanting in this way to help the little children in Homes throughout Serbia. Director Bekic declared HRH Princess Katherine the patron of the Home for children hindered in development in Veternik.

Noticeably exited Princess addressed the present and expressed her hope that this donation will help the little children in their everyday work and added:

“Your laughter is the biggest reward for us. There is much love for you in our hearts, and I know you feel that. Thank you for your wish to have me as your patron. It is a great honour for me, but also an obligation to help you in the future, too. Beside the great number of obligations I will try to visit you more often and to spend more time chatting and playing with you.”

The little children performed a short cultural-artistic program in honour of the visit of Their Royal Highnesses and as a sign of their gratitude for the valuable donation of the Foundation of HRH Princess Katherine.

This was the end of today’s visit of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Princess Katherine to Vrbas, Crvenka and Veternik.