In 2012, Todd, an employee of Terus Construction Ltd. (Canadian subsidiary of Colas) and his daughter Rachel traveled in the field to meet Predrag and Maja at the Suncokret Center for Community Development of Gvodz.
Later, Todd and Rachel gave us a moving account of their trip to Croatia and pointed to the difficulty of the different Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian communities to come to terms with each other and learn to live together again after the conflict that afflicted this region.

In April 2015, Todd’s second daughter, Erin, decided to share in this experience as well and went on a three week volunteering trip to the Suncokret community center.

Here are some of Erin’s comments about her stay at Gvozd and her feelings upon meeting the children of the Suncokret center:

Volunteering at Suncokret Centre this past April with my friends Tanner Manning, Geraldine Hainc and Emily Lockyer was both an eye opening and heart-warming experience. Witnessing Maja’s and Predrag’s determination to fix the post war issues of Virginmost (Gvozd) was inspiring. They have given the children and youth a fun and loving environment. We were amazed by the immense amount of joy it brought to their smiling faces. The Suncokret Centre has given these kids a place where they can play, learn, and feel safe. This Centre is not just a building but somewhere where these kids will have an opportunity to grow up with confidence, compassion, and a desire to move forward from the post war traumas. Maja and Predrag are truly the most selfless people I have ever met. They have dedicated their lives to helping those in need and expect nothing in return. Their positive outlook and compassion has led them to see a brighter future. I believe the Suncokret Centre is a symbol for exactly that, a symbol for a better tomorrow. The people of Virginmost (Gvozd) deserve to be liberated from hate and finally find peace in their past. With help from compassionate companies such as Colas a foreseeable future of harmony is possible. I can say from the bottom of my heart that funding this organization will change lives and it would be appreciated beyond words.

Erin