Manitoba volunteers turn Cuba vacations into lifesaving missions abroad

Volunteers with Manitoba’s chapter of Not Just Tourists are pictured with suitcases after a packing party on Jan. 24, 2026. Members of the nonprofit have been meeting in the basement of a Selkirk church for the past two years to pack supplies. (Tim Blazanovic)

In the wake of flight cancellations to Cuba, Canadian tourists may be disappointed — but one organization is ramping up to deliver essential medical supplies to the beleaguered nation.

Volunteers with Manitoba’s chapter of Not Just Tourists have been packing donated supplies and sending them with travellers willing to deliver them to areas in need.

Tim Blazanovic, coordinator of the provincial chapter, said many people associate vacation destinations with “sun, fun and rum,” overlooking the fact that some of these same locations face critical shortages of basic medical supplies.

After witnessing the need firsthand during his own travels, the Stony Mountain resident became involved with the humanitarian organization nearly two decades ago. Since then, he has been helping transform ordinary vacations into opportunities to deliver lifesaving aid.

“Until you see it with your own eyes and really look around — past the bar, past the sand, past the tropical part — you realize, ‘Wow, there’s an issue here,’” Blazanovic said.

The organization operates by collecting donated medical supplies, packing them into suitcases and handing them off to willing travellers, who hand them off to a hospital or clinic in need while at their vacation destination.

“You can be not just a tourist — you can be a humanitarian for half an hour or an hour — and then it’s back to the sun and the fun,” Blazanovic said. “It doesn’t really take that much of your time to do it.”

He said the non-profit strives to reduce medical waste, noting that lots of medical supplies get thrown out due to regulation rules by different medical professions and groups.

Founded more than 30 years ago after a Canadian couple travelled to Cuba, Not Just Tourists has chapters across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 9, the Manitoba chapter received 35 suitcase requests, most destined for Cuba. While flight cancellations to the Caribbean island have delayed some deliveries, Blazanovic said the organization sends lifesaving suitcases to hundreds of destinations worldwide.

‘It’s got a massive impact’

Blazanovic recalled a story from a Manitoban’s trip to a clinic in Cuba. After delivering a suitcase filled with IV butterfly needles, the clinic director immediately phoned the hospital to share the news. The hospital had been so short on IV supplies that staff were reusing needles — cleaning, sterilizing and even sharpening them between patients, he said.

“We all stood there with our jaws wide open… we really take our medical system and everything else for granted, a lot more than most people, and we don’t realize how sad the situation really is,” Blazanovic said.

“One of these suitcases can help hundreds of people.”

The international non-profit has sent over 11,000 suitcases across the world and delivered over 2.5 million pounds of medical supplies, according to its website.

Blazanovic said several airlines offer up to 50 pounds of humanitarian aid to be checked on flights free of cost, adding that the humanitarian organization provides documentation from physicians to ensure the goods pass smoothly through security.

In Manitoba, the chapter has been meeting in a Selkirk church basement for “packing parties” to organize and place supplies into suitcases, though Blazanovic notes that the organization is non-denominational.

“Our space is donated,” he added. “Our time is donated, our fuel, everything is donated.”

Anyone interested in assisting the non-profit can find more information on its website.

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