Romanian ambassador delivers clothing from Alabama Guard

Story courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania

Ambassador Mark Gitenstein and his wife Libby deliver clothing to children at the St. Mary placement center. (Photo by Lucian Crusoveanu/Public Diplomacy Office)
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BUCHAREST, Romania (7/29/10) - U.S. Ambassador Mark Gitenstein and his wife Libby visited two Bucharest placement centers today to deliver sets of sports clothing to boys and girls living there.

The clothing is a gift from the Alabama National Guard, which formerly sponsored a youth program in Alabama, the ambassador's home state.

Teenage girls from the St. Mary Placement Center and teen boys from the St. Ana Placement Center received the sports clothing that includes t-shirts, shorts, sweatpants and sweatshirts.

Clothing donations from the Alabama National Guard have also been made to organizations in Constanta and Tulcea counties, including the MK Aids House, Casa Speranta, Gradinari, Isaccea, and the Christian Center.

U.S. Marines collected the clothing from Montgomery, Ala., where the Alabama National Guard headquarters is located. The clothing was flown on a KC-130 aircraft that was heading to Romania to participate in training exercises of the Black Sea Rotational Force. The delivery was coordinated by the U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), under the U.S. Embassy.

This August marks the 16th anniversary of the partnership between the Alabama National Guard and Romania that originated in 1994. Romanian and Alabama National Guard soldiers have conducted many exchanges through the State Partnership Program.

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