BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Posted on Sun, Jun. 26, 2005

Belarusians get laughs on U.S. visit for health

MARTY MINCHIN

I got up early Thursday to attend the Union West Rotary Club's weekly breakfast meeting, and I found my venture to Indian Trail well worth the effort.

The club hosted magician Hannibal, who entertained children from Belarus who are spending six weeks in Union County with host families.

The children, brought here by the Indian Trail-based foundation Our Family to Yours, live in areas still suffering the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in 1986, and they are here for a health respite.

Sheila Rankin, who founded Our Family to Yours with her husband, Steve, said the children enjoyed the magic show, even though some can't speak English. Hannibal's tricks didn't require language -- I myself thought I saw him make a card disappear into thin air.

Hannibal got the crowd laughing quickly, including several audience members in his tricks. Rotary Club member Harris High made $5 when Hannibal borrowed $5 from him, folded the bill a few times, and unfolded a $10 bill, which he returned to Harris.

Rotary President Sean Helms was a little braver after that trick, handing Hannibal a $50 bill and hoping for a big payoff.

But Hannibal's folds worked in reverse this time, and the $50 bill suddenly became a $1 bill. As the crowd laughed, Hannibal said the trick was over and moved on.

Debbie Corbett, Rotary membership committee chairwoman, picked the three of diamonds out of a deck of cards, not showing Hannibal her choice. She watched in amazement as he correctly guessed her card.

For the grand finale, Hannibal made a lemon appear under a cup. Using a knife that Hannibal had previously asked the Rev. Jim Johns of Indian Trail Presbyterian to hold, the magician cut open the lemon and pried out Sean Helms' $50 (which Helms had signed in blue ink before handing it over).

Amazing.

Belarusian visitors

I spoke later in the day with Sheila Rankin to learn more about the group from Belarus, which has been in Union County about two weeks.The 13 children, ranging from 7 to 16 years old, are here to get a break from the radiation exposure left by the Chernobyl accident. People living in contaminated areas in Belarus experience a high rate of cancer and suffer from depleted immune systems, Rankin said. Some of the children's parents are ill as well, she said.

The children who visit here are not selected by economic need -- they all suffer the same health problems, Rankin said.

Belarus, a country about the size of Kansas, is surrounded by Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia. The children from Belarus all speak Russian, and a few speak English. Two translators are here this summer to help.

Rankin has hosted Belarusian children for several summers now, and she said there is a noticeable change in the children's health at the end of their stay.

"(Their visit to the U.S.) helps them not to be as sickly in the winter," she said. While they are here, the children visit doctors and dentists for checkups and get glasses if they need them.

Rankin said she and her husband got involved with the Belarusian children after hearing a speaker at their church, Hartis Grove Baptist. A group from Weddington Church also is hosting children this summer.

The Rankins have adopted one Belarusian child, Maiya, 14, who was an orphan, and Dima, who also is from Belarus, lives with them and goes to college here.

Other local host families include Shannon and Allen Hyman, David and Dawn Sturkey, David and Jessica Allison, Brad and Traci Prillaman, Jeff and Dale Simmons, Calvin and Pam Morris, Keith and Deb Adams and Mark and Amber Cloer.

The host families and donations from Our Family to Yours pay for the children's transportation to the U.S. and their medical care while here.

The organization also supports the Krugloe orphanage in Belarus and helps needy families in Belarus.

If you'd like to learn more about Our Family to Yours, visit www.ourfamilytoyours.com.

Drop Me a Line

If you have something for Our Towns from Stallings, Indian Trail, Lake Park or the surrounding area, I'd love to hear from you.

Marty Minchin

Union Observer "Our Towns"

132 S. Main St.

Monroe, NC 28112

Fax to (704) 289-4669.

E-mail to himarty@charlotte observer.com.

I welcome photos (make sure everyone is clearly identified left to right). Drop them in the mail or e-mail them as a JPEG file. Be sure to include a daytime phone number. For more information, call (704) 289-6576, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Marty

Minchin

Source:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/north_carolina/counties/union/11988562.htm