Within hours of the devastating earthquake that struck Croatia’s Banovina region in December 2020, a few Croatian associations from around the world came together to contribute to relief efforts. In the days that followed, others joined, leading to the creation of  the “ONE CROATIA” initiative, which today includes more than 30 Croatian associations from Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, Slovakia, United Kingdom, United States, and Venezuela, as well as from Croatia.

On November 4, 2022, ONE CROATIA brought to a successful close its earthquake relief efforts by donating a minibus to Children’s Home “Vrbina” in Sisak. The home, which cares for children without adequate parental care, was completely destroyed in the earthquake. At that time, the children were relocated to other towns in Banovina, thus losing not only their home, but also their community, playgrounds, and access to their city. While they have now returned to a temporary facility in Sisak while their home is built anew, this donation is intended to address the needs of the children and  will help transport them to sporting events, field trips, and summer camps. The donation was made possible through sizeable contributions  from AutoZubak, Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, ACAP New York City Chapter, and Infinum Foundation, among many other individual contributions. The Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce donated over $7,000 towards the cost of the minibus donation. By doing so, it fulfilled its undertaking to donate a portion of the proceeds raised in connection with its organization of the Canadian tour of the film “General” in 2019 to a charitable cause.

“With this donation, we exceeded our initial goal of delivering US$250,000 in earthquake relief to the Banovina region,” said Ivan Grbešić, an executive director of the Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce. “It is certainly gratifying to see Croats worldwide join forces to once again work towards a common cause, in this case, helping those most vulnerable, and to do so in a transparent and accountable manner. We have reason to be proud.”

Dr. Steven Pavletić, President of the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP), added that “this donation exemplifies our commitment to not forget our own who are in need. Over the last two years, it has been our privilege to work with first responders and others who provide vital services in Banovina, to learn about their important work, and to be able to make a meaningful impact in their ability to help others.”

“In addition to previously delivering much-needed medical equipment to hospitals and protective equipment to volunteer firemen and structural engineers, we come out of the ONE CROATIA initiative with a strong worldwide network of Croatian associations that will be in a position to work together on other projects and continue to expand ties between Croats living abroad and those living at home,” concluded Antun Kresimir Buterin, president of MeetingG2.

ONE CROATIA donations, managed by ACAP Foundation, have directly benefitted Petrova Hospital, KBC Zagreb, KB Dubrava, KBC Split, OB “Ivo Pedisic” Sisak, Institute for Emergency Medicine in Banovina, Croatian Center for Earthquake Engineering, and now Children’s Home “Vrbina.”

To learn more and to contribute, please visit: www.croampro.com/foundation

Photo:  Antun Kresimir Buterin (MeetingG2), Synthia Dodig (on behalf of Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce), Mára Vítols – Hrgetic (MeetingG2), Mario Doric (Children’s Home “Vrbina”), Dario Medved (AutoZubak), Djurdjica Pavesic-Herkov (Children’s Home “Vrbina”), and Steven Pavletic (Association of Croatian American Professionals)

ONE CROATIA: Croats worldwide unite to help those in need

The master of ceremonies explained that “as a global initiative, ONE CROATIA connected 30 associations of Croats from around the world. The goal of this initiative was to help first responders so that they could continue to save lives, as well as to enable sustainable development in the earthquake-devastated areas. To date, ONE CROATIA raised 1.5M Kn which was used to donate a fully equipped ambulance vehicle, a top-of-the-line anesthesia machine, personal protective equipment for static engineers and firefighters, as well as extraction equipment for Banovina’s firefighters.”

“The plaque recognizes thousands of Croats and friends of Croatia who sought to provide meaningful help to Croatia and entrusted ONE CROATIA and ACAP Foundation with their donations,” said Mašenjka Katić, vice president of ACAP Zagreb. ONE CROATIA’s member associations hail from Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In their effort to help Banovina, for the first time since the Croatian War for Independence, Croats from around the world stood united.

ONE CROATIA is still collecting donations to aid Children’s Home “Vrbina” in Sisak which was also destroyed in the earthquake. The home is a living community for children without adequate parental care.

GoFundMe Charity to the Croatia Earthquake Relief Fund

On November 2, 2021, ONE CROATIA purchased EMS Equipment (trauma bags/kits, extrication mattresses and stretchers, O2 tanks, consumables) and delivered it to Petrinja, Glina and Hrvatska Kostajnica firefighters.

This was followed by another purchase and delivery on December 27, 2021 of personal protective equipment for structure fires: gloves and helmets.

We will continue to work diligently towards our next goal of providing fire rescue and breathing tools.

ONE CROATIA’s giving philosophy includes working directly with first responders and making donations of needed supplies. This enables the donors to transparently see how their funds are being utilized to help those in need.

These donations were made possible because of YOUR generosity.  THANK YOU!

The next phase will be dedicated to aid for Children’s Home “Vrbina” in Sisak which was also destroyed in the earthquake. The home is a living community for children without adequate parental care.

Together, we make success!

Donations can be made here:

GoFundMe Charity to the Croatia Earthquake Relief Fund

Candidates play an integral role in helping to ensure sustainability, community areas of interest and Croatian cultural development continue to evolve.

The ONE CROATIA initiative started these awards in 2021 with our outstanding inaugural winner Marko Franovic from Sydney, Australia. With the nominations now open for the 2022 Awards, we are extending the categories to include nominee’s special area of achievement in helping to reshape and inspire their communities.

The nominations are open across, North and South America, Canada, Australia and Europe.

The winners will be announced on February 10^th, 2022 via a livestream event from Zagreb.

Nominate your outstanding Croatian in the Diaspora here or visit CardinalStepinacAwards.com.

Questions may be address to: admin@CardinalStepinacAwards.com

Join us for a 90-minute virtual program that will highlight our joint fundraising efforts and all those involved in the Banovina Earthquake Relief Fund organized by the ONE CROATIA Initiative. We will hear from task members, dignitaries and beneficiaries that received our donations. There will also be live musical performances from prominent Croatian artists and an opportunity for attendees to mingle.

The global Croatian community organized a unified effort to raise funds to help those in need after an earthquake and its aftershocks have brought loss of life and devastation to the historic towns of Petrinja and Sisak in the Banovina region of Croatia.

The widespread damage to homes, hospitals, kindergartens, churches and other buildings has left many families without water, heat, electricity and shelter.  Many of these same families, in the Banovina region, also suffered greatly during the Homeland War.

Much like in any times of distress, Croatians unified in a common goal of helping those most affected. Our global effort of over 30 Croatian organizations and generous donors from all 6 continents housed under a new alliance called ONE CROATIA has resulted in a successful fundraiser campaign.

We transparently donated the following tangible and much needed equipment:

In order to properly celebrate this great achievement we kindly invite you to join us for a virtual worldwide celebration on Saturday May 15, 2021 at:

2:00 PM EST Toronto | 12:00 PM MST Calgary |11:00 AM PST Vancouver

REGISTER HERE: https://www.entrio.hr/en/event/one-croatia-worldwide-celebration-9063#close

We are grateful to all those whose generosity contributed to the success of this initiative and all the members of ONE CROATIA throughout the world who worked tirelessly to make this a reality.

Our next round of collected funds will benefit the brave and courageous firefighters in the Banovina region.

Don’t forget to view One Croatia’s official song “Ruke pomoći” recorded by many prominent Croatian musicians as an extended artisanal support to help areas affected by the recent earthquakes in Banovina.

#CroatianExcellence #OneCroatia #Banovina

Croatian associations throughout the world, for the first time since the Croatian War for Independence, unite to provide critical aid for first responders and medical professionals in Banovina.

At a ceremony held in Sisak, ONE CROATIA, an initiative that gathers Croatian associations throughout the world, presented donations of an emergency ambulance vehicle for Petrinja, an anesthesia machine for the hospital in Sisak, as well as protective equipment for volunteer structural engineers, valued at $225,000 USD (or approximately 1,500,000 Croatian Kuna). Financial support for this effort came from 33 different countries throughout the world.

A portion of the donation focuses on helping establish the Croatian Center for Earthquake Engineering. The center is staffed entirely by volunteer structural engineers. In the aftermath of the earthquake, they left their families and jobs behind to provide their expertise to help Banovina. Several of them were injured as walls and ceilings collapsed on them. “This donation came at the right time and is of great help since the jackets were designed to facilitate the work of structural engineers. Additionally, the jackets help visually identify our engineers, much like other first responders can be identified,” said Dr. Josip Atalic, the founder and President of the Center.

Other donations focused on providing medical equipment. “This donation of the emergency ambulance vehicle is very valuable to us because without a vehicle our medical teams cannot reach those facing medical emergencies,” said Dr. Tomislav Fabijanic, head of emergency medical services in Sisak. This is only the second vehicle in the county that has a four wheel drive capable of reaching villages and hamlets in mountainous areas.

Similar sentiment was expressed by Dr. Tomislav Dujmenovic, director of the hospital in Sisak. “The situation in our hospital is difficult. The donation of an anesthesia machine will help the hospital not only return to normal operations but also to advance,” said Dujmenovic.

ONE CROATIA’s giving philosophy includes working directly with first responders and making donations of needed supplies. This enables the donors to transparently see how their funds are being utilized to help those in need.

While it would have been an honour to deliver these donations in person, many thanks to Synthia Dodig, Trade Commissioner (Canadian Embassy Zagreb) and His Excellency Alan Bowman, Ambassador of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo, for attending the ceremony and representing Croatian-Canadians.

These donations were made possible because of YOUR generosity.  THANK YOU!

Together, we make success!

GoFundMe Charity to the Croatia Earthquake Relief Fund

The volunteer structural engineers are the unsung heroes of the earthquake’s aftermath. Leaving their jobs and families behind, they selflessly volunteered their time and resources to help others in need.

Day after day, they found themselves being the ones who had to tell families that their homes were irreparably damaged, providing not only engineering but emotional and human support as well.

Eight volunteer structural engineers sustained serious injuries as walls and ceilings collapsed on them. This donation of protective 3-in1 jackets will help support their ongoing and selfless determination to help those affected by this devastation and others going forward.

This donation was made possible because of YOUR generosity.

GoFundMe Charity to the Croatia Earthquake Relief Fund

This is just the first of four deliveries (including an ambulance and other medical and rescue equipment) to be made over the next few weeks from the approximately C$280,000 (US$225,000) in donations contributed by Croatians around the world (through the “ONE CROATIA” Initiative by way of the ACAP Foundation) to earthquake relief efforts in the Banovina area.

The Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce is proud to be a founding member of the “ONE CROATIA“ Initiative (along with ACAP and Crodiaspora) – an allied effort for earthquake relief that has grown to a global scale, uniting some 30 Croatian associations worldwide.

An accounting will be presented by us following completion of all of the deliveries to ensure full transparency as to how donations have been used.

Thank you to all who generously contributed to the fundraising success of the “One Croatia” Initiative and worked tirelessly to make this contribution a reality. We are so proud to see so many organizations come together in this manner – a reminder of our unity in the 1990s during the Croatian War of Independence – and the first of many future projects together.

Together, we make success.

Through weekly meetings with professionals on the ground and our team (since December 29, 2020), we have collectively identified funding priorities:

Phase I
Emergency Ambulance Vehicle (with 4×4 drive) for Petrinja and an Anesthesia Machine for Sisak General Hospital
(in the process of implementation)

Since the hospital in Petrinja and six out of eight buildings of the hospital in Sisak are completely destroyed, emergency services are experiencing a great strain on their resources (as most patients have to be transported to Zagreb rather than treated locally). The wait time for an ambulance regularly exceeds an hour. There is currently only one existing ambulance with a 4×4 drive capable of reaching remote villages in mountainous areas, this will be the second such ambulance and will greatly reduce the wait time for emergency services.

The Sisak hospital has identified an anesthesia machine (that can also be used as an ICU respirator) as their #1 priority. With the purchase of this anesthesia machine and a Schiller defibrillator (for the new ambulance) from the Dräger company, the ambulance will also be equipped with a transport respirator, which will be a direct donation from the from the Dräger company.

Approximate cost: $185,000 USD

Phase II
Safety and Basic Equipment for Volunteer Firefighters, Mountain Rescue, and Structural Engineers
(ready to deploy as soon as all funds are available)

Leaving their families and jobs behind to help those in need, the volunteer firemen, mountain rescue, and structural engineers have become the unsung heroes in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Unfortunately, many of them have also been injured by collapsing structures during their efforts. Our donation of safety and basic equipment seeks to protect those who protect others and help support their ongoing and selfless determination to help those affected.

Approximate cost: $65,000 USD

Phase III
Children’s Home “Vrbina”
(our long term commitment)

Children’s Home “Vrbina” cares for 25 children who do not have families or whose families cannot support them. The home was completely destroyed in the earthquake and the children were relocated to other facilities. Our donation seeks to help return the children to their schools and their town by building a prefabricated home. Once their facilities are rebuilt by the government, this prefabricated home will be used to house older children (aged 14-18) to teach them independent living skills.

In addition to the monetary donation, we have arranged with the Home to pair their children with children in the diaspora (creating a modern version of the Pen Pal program). Our goal is to build positive relationships and foster an appreciation for our culture through education and the exchange of communication.

Approximate cost: $55,000 USD (or more if additional funds are raised)

If you have not yet donated, and are in position to do so, please consider contributing:

GoFundMe Charity to the Croatia Earthquake Relief Fund

We profoundly thank everyone who has supported our relief efforts!

We are actively continuing to monitor the ongoing crisis in Croatia following the devastating earthquakes that struck near the towns of Petrinja and Sisak, causing major damage and loss of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died and are injured, all those impacted, as well as with the first responders and volunteers who continue in their efforts to help.

We know that the widespread damage to homes, hospitals, kindergartens, churches and other buildings has left many families in need. Many of these same families, in the Banovina region, also suffered greatly during the Homeland War.

As global Croatian organizations, we stand united with our homeland and are identifying opportunities where our help will be most meaningful. All funds raised will be used to help those most affected by the earthquake.

Among others, we have had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Tomislav Dujmenovic, Head of Sisak Hospital, Tomislav Fabijanic, Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine, Matea Brizic, main coordinator of Red Cross for the Sisak-Moslavina County, Durdica Pavesic-Herkov, Principal of Vrbina Children’s Home and Stjepan Kostanjevic, Mayor of Glina for first hand reports about the situation on the ground.

An update regarding the first phase of the distribution of funds will be forthcoming shortly.  If you have not yet donated, and are in position to do so, please consider contributing to:

https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/croatia-earthquake-relief-funds?fbclid=IwAR0936PIRTAN1issUR_CkCTAY8TD17kW675pftm10QqbXbFdV2Sb_rAAgkE