Conchord Cayo Hueso, Inc.

Welcome

KEY WEST -- Ernest Hemingway said: ''Brother, don't let anybody tell you there isn't plenty of water between Key West and Havana!''. Well, we're here to tell you there's more than just water separating us.

Our organization, CONCHORD CAYO HUESO, Inc. (CCH), has been carrying food/medicine and hope to the Cuban people since 1992. Originally called BASTA!, we have 57 registered vessels and more than 450 volunteers crossing to Cuba. We even send missions with donations by air.

We are aware of a moral obligation to help our friends and neighbors down there.

We are non-political and, so often, find ourselves hunkering down in the trenches -- just like the Cuban people -- ducking the brickbrats of bitterness and animosity that are being heaved by our two governments at each other.

We are bound by conscious to help our sister island as much and as often as we can. The US economic embargo has been devastating for decades.

Until 1961 Key West was a suburb of Havana -- for more than 250 years. During that period no other US port had as much foreign maritime traffic as Key West, handling the Cuba's trade and passengers from Havana.

We residents of the Florida Keys long for the time we can go fishing again in Cuban waters. We miss the splendid relations between our two peoples, the cigars and rum and beauty of the Cuban tropics.

Last month we brought 30 violins, 2 cellos, 5 violas and 50 professional music stands to the Cuban Youth Symphony Orchestra. We even donated and carried a 2 1/2 ton printing press to a Cuban art collective! Hospital equipment, cooking oil -- you name it, we've crossed the Straits with it!

Perhaps you'd like to go see for yourself. No problem!