The Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Department for the Communities, in partnership with Azores Express in the United States and Sata Express in Canada organized the 2nd edition of the program “Missing the Azores”, which took place between November 13 and 20, 2004.
This initiative was addressed to old Azorean citizens residing in the United States and Canada, who at the time of the trip were more than 60 years of age and for economical difficulties had not visited the Azores during the last 20 years.
This program had the objective of offering the 14 participants, with ages between 62 and 89, the opportunity to visit their homeland and to be in contact with their relatives and friends, which in most cases hadn’t happened in the last 40, 50 and even 70 years.
Sata and Azores Express were responsible for providing the plane tickets Toronto-Boston/Ponta Delgada and the Regional Department for the Communities for the lodgement, meals, cultural program on São Miguel Island and for the trips in the archipelago for the participants with relatives on other islands.
This initiative was also supported by the social aid institutions located in the United States and Canada, with whom the Regional Department for the Communities celebrated cooperation protocols. These institutions were responsible for the selection of the participants, according to the criterions formerly established by the other partners of the program.