Horatio V. Cabasares, MD, FACS, general surgeon on the medical staff of Houston Healthcare and member of the Houston Hospitals Board, was recently honored with a “Heroes Among Us” award from Rotary International. The award is presented to those Rotary members who have consistently demonstrated a desire to live the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self,” and whose leadership and service help make the world a better place.

An active member of the Perry Rotary Club since 1983, Dr. Cabasares was honored for his long-time support of the Rotary Medical Equipment Transport Service (METS) project, a program of Rotary District 6920 in which retired medical equipment and supplies are collected and distributed to needy hospitals in developing countries around the world.

According to fellow Rotarian Mike Gray, Dr. Cabasares has been personally involved in the Perry Rotary Club’s two METS shipments to hospitals in the Philippines, including traveling to the Philippines to ensure the equipment and supplies arrived undamaged and were distributed properly. He has also contributed financially to the project to help defray shipping costs, which typically range between $4,000 and $5,000, and helped support the club’s third shipment to a hospital in Mongolia. In addition, he currently serves as a member of the METS Board of Trustees.

Dr. Cabasares has also participated in numerous medical mission trips to the Philippines and other developing countries over the years. With a perfect club attendance record for the last 29 years, he has served as Past President of the Perry Rotary Club and as a Director on multiple occasions. Dr. Cabasares was one of four Rotarians from Rotary District 6920, which includes the Perry Rotary Club, to be honored with the “Heroes Among Us” award during the district’s annual conference held in Savannah, Georgia.