A new Milwaukee-based charity has chosen the Bulduri Family Care Centre as one of the first recipients of its funding plans. The Kids First Fund Inc., whose board of directors includes a former Latvian ambassador and a Latvian hockey player, announced its formation April 21.

“Every dollar donated to Kids First will go to abused kids in developing countries such as Latvia, because we are entirely a volunteer organization,” Jay Sorensen, president and founder of the Kids First Fund, said in a press release. “We passionately believe that the development and care of children should be our first and primary concern.”

Among board members of the fund are Ojārs Kalniņš,the former Latvian ambassador to the United States and now director of the Latvian Institute in Riga, and his wife, Irma. Also on the board is Artūrs Irbe, a goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes professional hockey team. Dr. Valdis Rande, the retired director of the Bulduri center, also serves on the board.

According to the Kids First Fund, the Bulduri center in Jurmala is the only one of its kind in Latvia serving sexually and physically abused children.