A group of Mitchell Technical Institute alumni and supporters recently completed a service project in Haiti. Led by Electrical Construction and Maintenance (ECM) instructor Patrick Soukup of Mitchell, the group of eight traveled to Jeremie, Haiti, in late May where they spent a week wiring a medical clinic.
Soukup and the team who accompanied him were able to use donated materials and equipment and worked long days in order to complete the job. Soukup estimated that in one week, the group logged more than 400 hours of work. At the project s conclusion, the clinic had functional lights and plug-ins. The free clinic, Klinik Bondy-a in Jeremie, supports about 150,000 patients annually.
Seven of the eight members of the team are MTI alumni, all graduates of the ECM program. Team members included Soukup; 1978 graduate Doug Schley, Mitchell; 2011 graduate Calby Auch, Menno; 2012 graduates Eric Boehmer, Mitchell; Ron Disbrow, Sioux Falls; and Gary Soupir, Huron; and current student Richard Kludt, Lesterville. Also accompanying the group was Paul Faris, Harrisburg.
The bulk of the travel expenses and the cost of materials were provided by several supporters including MTI and the MTI Foundation, Muth Electric, Beef Bucks, Inc., Puetz Corporation, Dakota Supply Group, the Avera Foundation, and Holy Family parish.
