Canvasback Missions

10/06/2026

Meet Dr. Theodore Bogart, Optometrist! 🇲🇭💙
One of the most powerful things a volunteer can bring to a mission isn't just their time, it's the knowledge and experience they've spent a lifetime building.

That was certainly true for Dr. Theodore Bogart.

After retiring from private optometry practice, Theodore continues to look for opportunities to use his experience to help people with vision needs. He has volunteered on missions in Kenya, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta and regularly serves at community clinics in Seattle.

Theodore was introduced to Canvasback through his local VOSH chapter president, who had participated in a 2025 mission and spoke highly of her experience. That connection led him to join our recent Ebeye mission.

While at the hospital, Theodore helped inventory diagnostic equipment and discovered an ultrasound unit that could be useful for diagnosing eye conditions such as retinal detachment.

Because he had worked with similar equipment during his career, Theodore was able to sit down with a local physician and conduct a hands-on demonstration, sharing not only how to use the equipment, but when it could be most useful.

For Theodore, this was one of the most meaningful parts of the mission.

But the experience wasn't just about equipment or clinical care, it was about people.

He described how some volunteers and hospital staff began as "strangers...but by the time we left, we were friends, joined together by our common purpose."

And, of course, there were moments of laughter. Theodore remembers his translator, who jokingly suggested the nickname “Mr. Corrupt” after Theodore had difficulty pronouncing his name. But Theodore made one thing clear: he was anything but corrupt, always helpful and a pleasure to work with 😊

For Theodore, the opportunity to share his knowledge and skills in service to others is both deeply meaningful and rewarding.

And his message to anyone considering volunteering with Canvasback is simple:

“If you have a skill or personal quality to give...then don’t hesitate. Go!”

Thank you, Dr. Bogart, for sharing your experience, your expertise, and your heart for service with the Ebeye community. We’re grateful to have you as part of the Canvasback team! 💙

Have a skill to share? Join us in making a difference:
https://www.canvasback.org/volunteer

Support the people and partnerships behind every mission:
https://www.canvasback.org/donate

09/29/2026

🎥 A special look at our Ebeye mission! 🇲🇭💙

We’re honored to be featured in the latest video from U.S. Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll, highlighting our recent vision and dental mission in partnership with the incredible team at Leiroj Kitlang Memorial Hospital.

From the clinic to the kitchen, the video captures the people and partnerships behind the mission, and a relationship that has grown over more than two decades.

Thank you, USAG-KA, for helping tell our story!

09/23/2026

A familiar face, 10 years later🦷💙
During our recent Ebeye Dental Mission, our lead dentist Dr. Harry Chambers was reunited with Faith, whom he first treated a decade ago!

She still remembered him and Dr. Harry was able to care for her once again.

These missions are about so much more than individual appointments. The relationships our teams build with patients, families, and communities can last for years!

We are so grateful for volunteers like Dr. Harry who continue to return to the Marshall Islands and for the wonderful communities who welcome our teams back year after year.

It's a beautiful reminder of what your support makes possible: not just care, but lasting relationships between volunteers and the communities they serve.

Some impact simply can't be measured in numbers🇲🇭💙

Be a part of the impact: https://www.canvasback.org/donate

09/18/2026

This is Canvasback Missions💙
From the clinic to the community, every mission is made possible through partnership, compassion, and the people who choose to serve.

Take a look at what your support makes possible🌊🇲🇭

09/10/2026

176 Surgeries in 8 Days! 👁️🇲🇭🎉

Our Ophthalmology Mission in Majuro reached an incredible milestone: 176 surgeries completed in just 8 days!

We’re celebrating an amazing team of volunteer surgeons, OR assistants, and Marshallese healthcare professionals who have worked side by side to provide specialized eye care to patients in the Marshall Islands🤝

176 surgeries and countless lives touched. We’re incredibly grateful for every volunteer, partner, donor, and supporter who helped make this mission possible!💙

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Charles Ahn; Matt Smith, CRNA; Amber Kwon, Assistant; Dr. Nick Norton; Sadie Jerome, OR Assistant; Lesa Stanley, OR Assistant; Dr. Gano; and Nicci Pirie, OR Assistant

09/08/2026

A Special Visit from Pohnpei to our Ophthalmology Mission! 🇫🇲🇲🇭
We were incredibly honored to welcome Governor Stevenson A. Joseph to Majuro, where our Ophthalmology team had the privilege of providing his specialized eye care. Moments like this remind us of the incredible connections and partnerships that make our work across the Pacific so meaningful💙

GOVERNOR STEVENSON A. JOSEPH VISITS MAJURO FOR EYE TREATMENT, ACKNOWLEDGES CANVASBACK MISSIONS’ PACIFIC OUTREACH

PEI LAPALAP, POHNPEI — Governor Stevenson A. Joseph recently traveled to Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, to receive specialized eye treatment from the visiting Canvasback Missions ophthalmology team. The treatment was conducted through a MiCare medical referral, yielding substantial cost savings for MiCare compared to a typical referral to the Philippines.

Canvasback Missions is a non-profit organization that provides free specialty medical care and preventive health programs across the Pacific Islands, deploying volunteer healthcare professionals to restore health and provide services otherwise unavailable in the region.
During their latest outreach in Majuro, the volunteer medical team demonstrated the vital impact of regional healthcare partnerships by completing 52 sight-restoring surgeries in just three days:

Monday: 14 surgeries
Tuesday: 18 surgeries
Wednesday: 20 surgeries

Governor Joseph praised the dedication of the medical team, donors, and regional partners whose combined efforts continue to transform lives and strengthen health care across Micronesia.

In addition, Governor Joseph is in ongoing discussions with the Canvasback Missions team to explore bringing a similar medical outreach mission to Pohnpei next year.

09/02/2026

👁️ A Glimpse Inside Our Ophthalmology Mission in Majuro

The operating room has been busy, and our team is continuing to provide much needed eye care and sight-restoring surgeries at Majuro Hospital.

Every successful day in the operating room takes preparation, precision, communication, and an incredible amount of teamwork. We’re proud to see our volunteers and local colleagues working side by side, sharing their skills and supporting one another throughout the mission💙

We’re also grateful to everyone back home who makes these moments possible. Your generosity helps bring the people, expertise, equipment, and resources together to make this work happen.

Komoltata to our volunteers, partners, and supporters!

We’re proud to be here, proud of this team, and grateful to share the journey with you👁️✨

Be part of the impact: https://www.canvasback.org/donate
Join the mission: https://www.canvasback.org/volunteer

08/31/2026

🎉100 Surgeries, and Counting! 👁

Our Ophthalmology team in Majuro has officially reached an incredible milestone: 100 surgeries completed!

Behind this milestone are 100 patients who have taken a step toward clearer vision and a brighter tomorrow. We are so grateful to our dedicated volunteers, local healthcare partners, and especially to the donors and supporters at home who make this life-changing work possible.

100 surgeries. 100 lives touched. And so much more to come🌎💙

Your support helps us continue bringing care where it’s needed most.

Help make the next life-changing mission possible
➡ https://www.canvasback.org/donate

08/26/2026

🇲🇭👁️ Mission in Motion | Majuro, Marshall Islands

Our Ophthalmology team has devoted this week to bringing specialized eye care to patients in Majuro, and the impact of their dedication is already evident in the lives they are touching.

In just three days, our volunteer team has completed:

14 surgeries on Monday
18 surgeries on Tuesday
20 surgeries on Wednesday

That’s 52 surgeries in just three days!❤️

While the numbers show the scope of the mission, the real impact is found in the people behind them. Each patient represents a life touched, a vision restored, and a new possibility for seeing the world more clearly.

We are incredibly grateful to this hardworking team for giving their time and expertise, and to our donors, partners, and supporters back home who make missions like this possible.

52 surgeries. 52 patients. Countless people working together to make a difference🤝💙

And the mission continues!

Help us make an impact: https://www.canvasback.org/donate

08/24/2026