Meet Our Board
Shaun Ornellas
shaun.president@helpinghands4cruising.org
President
I am Shaun Ornellas, the founder of Helping Hands 4 Cruising. I am originally South African by birth and have been living in Melbourne, Australia for the last 43 years.
How was HH4C born? In 2020, a group cruise was booked on the Carnival Horizon for October 16, 2022. Several fellow YouTubers expressed interest in joining the cruise. Once such person was a young man by the name of Kenneth Oakes who has a couple of physical limitations. Unfortunately, Kenneth mentioned that he was unable to afford the cruise. What got me thinking was that he had never been to a beach and felt the sea water.
I put out a suggestion to the group that we look at collecting some funds together to get Kenny on the cruise. We put together a cruise-a-thon where we collected enough money to get Kenny on a cruise as well as extra to get another person on a cruise.
The inaugural cruise (Carnival Horizon October 16-23, 2022) for Helping Hands 4 Cruising (HH4C) took place with Kenny and 30 other people from U.K. Canada, U.S. and Australia. Everybody’s lives were changed one way or another, through the immense pleasure and satisfaction to see Kenny experience something that he would never have been able to
I am humbled and honoured to have a) given Kenny the opportunity to change his life b) have given 2 other recipients the same opportunity, and c) created this incredible worldwide organization.
Looking forward to growing this organization world-wide and providing a cruise of a lifetime to others who are less fortunate than us who love cruising!
Mitch “Dewey” Duszynski
dewey.vp@helpinghands4cruising.org
Vice president (us market)
I have been a proud member of the board of HH4C since the beginning when we were working to get a deserving young man to go on a cruise with us. The endeavor was such a success that Helping Hands 4 Cruising was formed. I am a retired programmer who has been traveling for fun and frolic for the last 4 years, a self professed Cruise-A-Holic. So I KNOW how important cruising is to me. But being able to help share this excitement with others is the ultimate joy. Everyone talks about how much our candidates get out of the opportunity to experience a cruise for the first time. But I sincerely feel that we, as board members and supporters, get a whole lot more out of each cruise. WE get the satisfaction of knowing WE have helped to change the life if someone else. I will do my best to be on every HH4C cruise I can so that I can share in that excitement!
Ross Merel
execdir@helpinghands4cruising.org
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (US market)
Ross Merel serves as the Executive Director of Helping Hands 4 Cruising, a charitable organization dedicated to providing cruise experiences to individuals who face financial or physical challenges that make such travel otherwise inaccessible. In his capacity as Executive Director, Merel oversees the organization’s strategic initiatives, partnership development, and program implementation, ensuring that the mission of inclusivity and support is effectively realized. Under his leadership, Helping Hands 4 Cruising has expanded its outreach and enhanced its programs to better serve the community. His commitment to fostering accessible travel opportunities reflects a broader dedication to social equity and the enrichment of lives through unique experiences. His role involves collaborating with various stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, and partner organizations, to facilitate and fund cruise opportunities for those in need. His efforts contribute significantly to the organization’s impact, enabling individuals to enjoy enriching travel experiences that promote well-being and personal growth.
Crystal Wagner
.crystal.partnerships@helpinghands4cruising.org
co-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (US market) /
Director of Fundraising, Marketing , & partnerships
My name is Crystal Wagner, and I am honored to serve as the CO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (US market), Director of Partnerships and Director of Marketing USA Director of Fundraising for Helping Hands for Cruising, where I also sit on both the Executive and General Boards. With many years of experience as a social media influencer, I have used my platform to make meaningful connections and drive impactful initiatives. Throughout my life, I have held numerous positions on various boards, combining my passion for service with my ability to inspire and lead. As a dedicated mother and a career-driven professional in the medical field, I have mastered the art of balancing responsibilities while pursuing my goals. It is truly my pleasure to bring my enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment to this incredible organization, and I look forward to delivering many years of fun, excitement, and success.
Chris Svitak
Chris.treasurer@helpinghands4cruising.org
treasurer (Us Market)
Meet Chris Svitak – Treasurer & Financial Manager
Chris Svitak brings a wealth of experience and dedication to his role as Treasurer & Financial Manager for HH4C. With 12 ½ years of service in the United States Army, Chris developed strong leadership, discipline, and strategic financial skills that he continues to apply in his work today.
For the past 19 years, he has been an active member of the Lions Club, demonstrating his passion for community service and philanthropy. Beyond his work with HH4C, Chris is deeply involved in various social media networks, using his platform to connect, engage, and support numerous charitable initiatives.
With many years of experience and a strong career-driven mindset, Chris is committed to ensuring HH4C remains in a solid financial position. As Financial Manager, he meticulously monitors all incoming and outgoing funds, ensuring transparency and compliance with all legal requirements, including the proper filing of tax forms.
Chris looks forward to working with HH4C and providing the financial oversight needed to support its mission. His dedication to service, both in and out of uniform, makes him an invaluable asset to the team.
Together, let’s make a difference!
Ilana Ornellas
Ilan.secretary@helpinghands4cruising.org
secretary
I have been lucky enough and incredibly grateful to have experienced a wide world of travel over the years from my home in Melbourne, Australia including; 4 years in Fiji, 7 years in Israel, touring China, South Korea, several visits to England and Singapore, and backpacking through Europe and the Greek Islands. After Shaun and I went on our first cruise on the Golden Princess in 2016 we were hooked from day one! Our pre-cruise research led us to the YouTube community and from there made many new friends from near and far, and The Down Under Cruisers channel was born. Shaun had the idea of fund raising for Kenny to be able to join our group cruise on the Carnival Horizon in 2022 and from that Helping Hands for Cruising developed, and Kenneth Oaks our first recipient. We were privileged to be on the golf cart Bonaire excursion with Kenny for his first ever walk on sand, even better on a beautiful Caribbean island!
I love the idea of being able to send a deserving recipient on their very first cruise, knowing how much joy cruising gives us. Many people think they could never go on a cruise due to financial or physical limitations, but given the opportunity offers an often life changing experience for future possibilities of what can be achieved. All our recipients to date have been given the impetus to know that yes, they can cruise in a wheelchair or walker, or be motivated to save and plan and have gone on to book their second cruise.
Our Board does an incredible job of organizing ‘cruise-a-thons’ to fundraise and we are thrilled to see the interest and participation grow since the first cruise-a-thon in 2020 when this vision was hatched.
We couldn’t do it without the generous donations received!
Michaelanne Callum
Michaelanne.liaison@helpinghands4cruising.org
recipient & host liaison (Us Market)
My name is Michaelanne Callum. I have been involved in YouTube since late 2020. I learned about Helping Hands 4 Cruising through their first recipient, Kenneth Oaks. I was privileged to be invited by a fellow YouTuber to join her on the inaugural cruise for HH4C on the Carnival Horizon on Oct 15-23, 2022. It was amazing to be there to see Kenny experience his first cruise and his first sight of the ocean. It was also my first cruise as well. It felt like being part of a huge family. I have enjoyed helping out with the various Cruise-a-thons to help raise funds to put recipients on cruises. I have to admit I am now hooked on cruising . I had the honor of being nominated to become the first full fledged Canadian member of the HH4C board in April 2023. Since then I have become the Recipient/Host Liaison for North America on the board and have started carrying out the vetting process for potential recipients and hosts for upcoming cruises. I enjoy my position and I am looking forward to cruising on another HH4C cruise in Oct 2024.
Jennifer Cohen
jen.events@helpinghands4cruising.org
Director of Events & Promotions (Us Market)
Meet Jennifer – Your Go-To Promotions & and Director of Events USA!
Jennifer Cohen is honored to serve on the Board of Helping Hands 4 Cruising and as a member of the Fundraising Committee. With a strong background in nonprofit fundraising, she previously co-chaired an annual fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois, helping to raise over $100,000 over a decade.
A passionate cruiser since her first voyage to the Eastern Caribbean in 2002, Jennifer has since explored the Western Caribbean, Alaska, and will embark on a European cruise in October 2025. Her dedication to the cruising community and commitment to making travel more accessible led to her invitation to join the HH4C Board following a successful Cruise-a-Thon in January 2025. She looks forward to contributing her experience and enthusiasm to furthering the mission of HH4C for years to come.
