|
| Puerto Vallarta |
| March 27th
to April 2nd, 2004 |
Gourmet Festival Promotion
Thierry Blouet and Heinz Reise, founder-creators of
Vallarta's now famous Annual International Gourmet
Festival have announced that this year's event will
enjoy unprecedented publicity abroad on the occasion
of the event's upcoming 10 th Anniversary this November.
They intend to organize an intense promotional campaign
in various cities of the U.S. where they will also
hold presentations and press conferences.
A Great Stroller . For a Charming Creature
The little angel is Regina,
she is almost 4 years old. It was another challenge
to grant her a wish as she does not speak. She was
not able to express her wish by herself. However,
her mom told us that she enjoyed very much when she
is taken around, so we finally determined that what
she needed was a super "aluminum
jogging stroller", light and practical to use.
This great stroller was a present from a very nice
friend of ours, Luis Hernandez from EL SUPERIOR newspaper
in California who was more than happy to adopt Regina's
wish. A big thanks to him!!!.
A special thanks to Cesar Pizeno who was the one in
charge of taking the stroller to the airport in San
Francisco and push to have it accepted, and to Jose
Luis Rodriguez from CONTINENTAL AIRLINES who had it
sent from California to Vallarta.
If you would like to make a needed donation, become
a volunteer and share the power of a wish, refer an
eligible wish child or adopt a wish, please contact
us at: 290-0732, or visit us at: www.makeawishmexico.org
"After the Ball Is Over.."
"After The Ball is over.." the multitude of sponsors,
donors and volunteers must have sung happily as the
2004 Becas Ball wound down to a triumphant conclusion
in the late hours of Saturday, March 13th. After the
dining and the dancing and the cocktail hour enlivened
by songs from "the Bambinos" - after the live auction
so dramatically presided over by RC Burkheimer - after
the raffles had been won and the silent auction items
carried away - what is there left to do but congratulate
everyone who had a hand in making it all happen?
A welcome element
was the presence of thirty of the youngsters who
are receiving Becas scholarships at the present time..
And let us not forget to thank Ricardo Murrieta and
Yesika Felix for supervising their role in the night's
events. The Becas students helped transport all the
items that had to be brought to the Westin hotel,
helped unpack them, and then worked security over
Saturday and turned up again on Sunday to pack things
up. No charge for all of this - except some
gas for Fidel's truck!
Thanks to " The Bambinos" not
only for playing and singing so well, but also because
they made their own donation to the Becas Vallarta
fund. The fund was also boosted by the generous annual
donation given by the International Friendship Club
and handed over by Al Ward, the IFC President.
The Westin Hotel and its staff win a sincere vote
of appreciation for their cooperation and excellent
service. There are so many others who deserve to be
thanked. Over three hundred donors who gave generously:
plus all the volunteers who not only spent countless
hours working in the weeks before the Ball but especially
those who sacrificed their cocktails and dinners to
ensure that everything went off without a hitch.
One always comes away from an evening like this with
one unforgettable memory. For me, it will be the sight
of Becas Vallarta President Mary Ellis carrying Ramiz
Barquet's sculpture aloft, looking somewhat like Rebecca
with her pitcher on the way to the well, while RC Burkheimer
coaxed bid after bid from an enthralled audience.
The lucky winners
in the raffle were: #2503 Jones - 29" TV:
# 3908 Bendix - DVD/CD player: #4496 Allen - Fax/Answering
Machine: #1124 Langarica - microwave oven: # 1037 Gonzales
Melina - mini-component stereo. Gonzalez Melina is
a teacher at CONALEP and he bought a raffle ticket
from each of the Becas students who attend his school.
Which happily proves that virtue is not just its own
reward!
While the Becas
Ball is over for another year, the need for funds
never stops. There are dozens if not hundreds of
bright kids out there, aching for the chance to keep
on at school and perhaps even make it to University.
But their family circumstances make it impossible
- unless they get financial support. The recent article - "Becas
needs a Boost" - touched some hearts and brought in
some new funds. If you were not able to attend the
Ball, it does not mean that the opportunity to make
a contribution has passed. Contact Mary Ellis at 222-1478
or Pat Bendix at 221-5730. They will be happy to hear
from you!
Club de Club Humanitarian Medical Distribution
The distribution of two entire truckloads of donated
medical equipment took place at 9 a.m. on Friday morning,
March 19 th , at the DIVAC facilities. Under the guidance
of local practitioner Dr. Peter Gordon, President of
the Club de Club, and Ivan Applegate, President of
DIVAC (the local non-profit organization for Vallarta's
handicapped), the following medical groups received
much needed equipment: The Naval Hospital, the Regional
Hospital, the Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Center,
DIVAC itself and the Red Cross. The material was divided
up according to availability and the individual needs
of each group.
The Club de Club has developed the process of obtaining
the approvals of Salubridad (the Health Department),
Aduanas (the Customs Department), Hacienda (the Revenue
Service), the local agents, and it has fulfilled the
requirements of higher authorities before any materials
arrive so they may be distributed in a timely fashion
upon arrival.
The Club de Club will assist any group in the process
of legalizing donated goods arriving in Puerto Vallarta.
It will also assist in making international connections
to initiate a legal and smooth collection of humanitarian
materials. The Club has access to a warehouse on the
San Diego Base, through the Navy League, where materials
to be processed for delivery to Puerto Vallarta can
be stored until the Mexican approvals can be obtained.
The Club de Club and DIVAC are operated by Mexican
nationals to organize and process needed donations
for local activities. The distribution that took place
on that Friday proves it can be done!
Golf News
Update from Marina Vallarta Club de Golf
On Tuesday, March 16 th ,
Señor Bollio, a.k.a.
Roberto Dhamer of Lake Forest, IL., who spends the
winter months at Velas Vallarta, had his first hole
in one!
It happened on the fourth hole at the Marina course
on a typically beautiful Vallarta afternoon, witnessed
by Dick Lavie, Angelo Tiesi, and Richard Owens.The
four golf ambassadors are all winter residents and
have enjoyed golf in paradise together for many years.
Roberto looks forward to many more opportunities at
a great golf experience, maybe even his second HIO.
U.S. Consular Agency Community Outreach Program - Medical
Matters Open Forum
The U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara - Consular
Affairs Official and U.S. Consular Agency of Puerto
Vallarta wish to invite the English speaking community
(residents and visitors) to an open forum with Mexican
Medical Service Providers. The event will be held on
Thursday, April 1 st , at 9:30 a.m. at the Marriott
CasaMagna Hotel, in the Salon Vallarta.
A panel of Mexican medical service providers has been
assembled to provide information as to the various
medical services in the bay. They will field questions
regarding local medical services, practices, customs,
costs and where to solicit more information.
Participants invited to provide
information are: local hospital medical & administrative
directors, Mexican Consumer Protection Agency, air
and ground ambulance companies, medical conciliation
organization, Puerto Vallarta Blood Bank, funeral
services information, Red Cross, IMSS medical programs,
and Mexican health insurance companies.
Send questions regarding medical matters by fax or
e-mail to the U.S. Consular Agency in Puerto Vallarta,
no later than 2 p.m. March 30 th , 2004. Please promote
this reunion for the general public interest.
The U.S. Consular Agency in
Puerto Vallarta is compiling an American Citizen
recommended list of doctors. If you have been treated
by an English speaking medical professional who you
feel should be included on this list, please write
to us at: consularagentpvr@prodigy.net.mx Please
include your name & passport #, name of
doctor, specialty, phone number, and a short brief
regarding your experience with their services. We will
contact doctors recommended and verify their interest
to be included on our list. We are also interested
in the same type of information regarding medical service
providers whom you WOULD NOT recommend.
The U.S. Consular Agent in Puerto Vallarta is Kelly
Trainor de Oceguera and the U.S. Consular Agency is
located at: Edificio Vallarta Plaza, 160 Zaragoza St.,
off the main square. Tel.:222-0069, Fax: 223-0074,
E-mail: consularagentpvr@prodigy.net.mx Archives
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