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PARTY WITH A PURPOSE DECEMBER 20007

The final results are in…

It is estimated that the December 7^th Party With A Purpose was Attended by 175 people. It took place in the fiesta yard behind The Lonely Sock Lavanderia. Thanks to Rosa and Carl West, owners of the lavanderia, who donated the use of their facility.

The potluck supper/information fair/fundraiser netted 13,877.5 pesos.

Since there was no “cover charge” to attend the party, the income came solely from sales of beverages and tickets for the raffle.

The money was shared equally by 5 charitable causes. Four Bucerias-based organizations (PEACE, Amigos de Bucerias Civil Association, the new Children’s Library and the Bucerias Bilingual Community Center,) as well as the Tabasco State flood relief fund.

This means each cause received 2,775.5 pesos.

The local causes also benefited from those at the party who visited the information table of each organization to learn of its mission and the volunteer opportunities and, perhaps, to make a “directed” donation to their favorite cause or causes.

The Party Planning Committee members, Dorothy and Mike Simpson, Molly Fisher, Harold Sokolove and Gabriela Ulloa, would like to thank the numerous Bucerias restaurant, café and bakery owners who donated raffle prizes (dining out or food item gift certificate): Pie In The Sky Pasteleria, La Lomita Restaurant, Karen’s Place, Rito’s Baci, Restaurant IXTA, Mark’s Bar & Grill, La Quinta, Bambu, Adauto’s On The Beach and Sweet Thing Bakeshop & Café. Additional Prizes came from: Art In Amber Jewelry, Banderas Bay Health (La Cruz), Curvas Peligrosas (Puerto Vallarta), Hacienda Furniture, Healing Hands Massage, Art & Philanthropy (Punta Mita), PV Treasures (La Cruz), PV SCUBA and Pancho’s Wagon Rides. There were a total of 23 prizes – some contributors provided more than 1 prize

Many of those attending the party brought a potluck dish to share...and combined with the nearly 2 dozen Bucerias restaurants which donated food for the event, nobody should have gone away hungry.

Restaurants donating their most popular and/or signature dishes were (in no particular order): La Lomita, Mark’s Bar & Grill, Burrolandia, Rito’s Baci, Karen’s Place, Pie In The Sky, Restaurant IXTA, Adauto’s On The Beach. Pasteleria Suiza, Lucky’s Sports Bar, Mar Y Sol, Bucerias Gardens Bar & Grill, Sweet Thing Bakeshop & Café, Chivero’s, Sandrina’s, Jorge’s Cocina, Bambu, Takee Outee, La Quinta, Mezzogiorno and Adriano’s.

Several Bucerias businesses donated beverages or funds to help cover some of the party’s expenses: Elements Realty Group, La Vida, ReMax Bahia, Las Palmas, Victoria’s Boutique, Map of Bucerias, El Lugar and Luz’s Deposito.

The Party Committee would like to thank the MC for the party, Bucerias Recycling Czar Barry Munro, who took care of announcements and with his wife, “Vanna,” assisting, called out the wining raffle numbers. And a big thanks to the many volunteers who helped set-up and clean-up at the fiesta yard.

A big round of applause for the musical entertainment, provided (donated) throughout the evening by Bucerias guitarist Don Thompson, who also donated the use of his sound system and by international jazz singer Armi Grano from Vancouver, Canada, who is currently performing in Bucerias.

On behalf of the entire party committee and the many volunteers who helped make this year’s Party With A Purpose a success, Thank you and we hope to do it again, even better, next year.

By the way, we’re still hoping someone took pictures at the party and will share them with us.
AED DONATION TO BAHIA DE BANDERAS OCTOBER 2007

Three AED's (Automatic External Defibrillator) and accessories, which were donated by Phillips Medical System, arrived in Bucerias recently. Transporting them across the border from the US to Mexico raised some questions which caused months of delay . Once they were here, the work of Amigos de Bucerias, A.C. began to arrange a presentation to the municipio.

It was beginning to look like the presentation pf the AED's wasn't going to take place on October 15th, at least not as scheduled for 9 a.m. Nayarit, but once Bahia de Banderas Presidente Cuevas walked into his El Valle office, things started happening.

First, the Amigos de Bucerias, A.C. banner was taken out of Dr. Cuevas' office and hung on one wall of the large building surrounding the interior courtyard of the Presidencia. Dr. Cuevas ordered that a table be brought out and placed below the banner to display the AEd's and accessories. No sooner were the items laid out on the table, another worker showed up with a bright red table covering. Next, an amplifier, speaker and mic appeared.

An audience of curious onlookers started gathering around the courtyard. Many of them asked what those strange-looking devices were for. We estimate 35-40 people watched all or part of the ceremony.

The presenters and representatives of the municipality stood shoulder to shoulder behind the table for pictures and the presentation was off and running.
Bahia de Banderas Tourism Director Hector Sahagun was handed the mic and was assigned to be the master of ceremonies.

After Hector issued a brief welcome, an explanation of the reason for the presentation and its impact on the area, each person behind the table was handed the mic and gave a short speech. First up was Amigos member Sue Fornoff, who read a letter (in Spanish)from Amigos President, Enrique Anaya, because he could not be there due to work obligations.

Following her was Dr. Claudio Estrada (Dir. of Protecion Civil Y Bomberos) in whose ambulances the AED's will ride; Harold Sokolove, V. President of Amigos de Bucerias; Ms Kelly Trainor (US Cinsular Agent), who helped guide the process of transferring "ownership" of the AED's from Phillips Medical System through Amigos de Bucerias to the Municipio of Bahia de Banderas. Although not yet back in Mexico for the Winter, Curt Firestone, who was the contact with Phillips, was thanked for his efforts in securing this donation. The speeches finished up with Dr Cuevas thanking Amigos de Bucerias for the gift, valued at about 120,000 pesos.

* * *

The first round of training the municipio's paranedics on the proper use of the AED's took place later the same day at the US Cinsular Office in Paradise Plaza Mall. Kelly volunteered her meeting room space and coordinated the training with Pam Thompson and Puerto Vallarta cardiologist Dr. Jorge Chevez
Additional Protecion Civil personnel will be scheduled for training shortly.

CHILDREN’S DAY MOVIE FEST MAY 2007

While there were not the throngs of children expected and prepared for, the 30 to 40 kids who did come to the Movie Festival (there was coming-and-going) would tell you they had a great time. A number of the kids were residents of the Manos de Amor Children's Shelter. The organizers learned shortly after the festival started that they were not the only "game in town" to celebrate Children's Day. There was some kind of morning activity at the plaza and even some schools were open for special activities that day, they were told. Due to the smaller-than-expected crowd, there was more than enough popcorn and Pau Pau juice available. The children were very well behaved. That is to say, there weren't too many popcorn-throwing episodes.

When not sitting down watching the movies, several of the girls in the audience took on the role of server, to make sure everyone had a cupful of popcorn and a cold bottle of juice in their hand during the show. Four movies were shown, with one intermission to let the DVD equipment cool down. The kids were getting a little "antsy" during the 4th movie, so the festival ended a little early (around 5 p.m.), so there would be plenty of time for the tired volunteers to clean up Academia Bilingue and to return the DVD equipment to Ro Pimiento and the popcorn machine to Isabel Padilla (who stayed through the entire festival making fresh popcorn.)

A Big THANKS to Ro, of Roots Vegetarian Restaurant and Isabel, the popcorn lady by the footbridge, for donating the use of their equipment; to the owner of Video Carocol for letting the Festival "rent" the movies free of charge and to Judi Conrad, for providing the excellent space for the festival. Thanks also go to Manos de Amor for having volunteers at the festival to keep things tranquil and to the Rey Nayar Children's Library, the Rotary Club of Bahia de Banderas and Amigos de Bucerias for funding the festival.

Anecdotes from the Academia Bilingüe

by Dorothy Simpson

Children from the English classes at Academia Bilingue had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills Saturday, March 31 to family and friends. The audience gathered in the courtyard of the Academia was delighted with renditions of the American folk tunes “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and “Ten Little Indians” by the Ninos classes taught by Judi Conrad and Laura Serrano Hernandez. Claudie Verdant’s Saturday Story Hour Group, complete with costumes and make-up portrayed a group of adults meeting on a street and making introductions.

Following the program, refreshments were provided by Manos de Amor and Academia Bilingue. Parents are registering children for the next session which will begin on April 16. Class fees are 20 pesos per week for 2 one hour sessions. There is no charge for the Saturday Story Hour which begins at 11:00 (Nayarit) at the Academia.