Kirsten Reinking

Tel. 222-5466

Email: ifcpv@prodigy.net.mx

On Tuesday, March 26th the IFC hosted Puerto Vallarta’s award winning Folkloric dance troop called Xiuta. The group consisted of 36 young dancers from Puerto Vallarta, and trained by Professor Enrique Barrios Limon. What a treat to have our own private performance by this excellent group!

 During the evening we learned that they won first prize out of 39 groups competing at a recent competition in Guadalajara. In July they plan to tour Mexico and perform in 12 different towns and cities. They have been invited to perform in Santana Barbara, California on July 24th and are busy raising funds for this exciting opportunity. My respect goes to Enrique Barrios whose dedication and vision have created a world class dance troop from young talent found right here in Puerto Vallarta. What a wonderful opportunity for our local children to discover and perfect their talent, to have the opportunity to travel and to be a part of something so successful, rewarding and well received.

At the end of the evening, Gale Hankel presented Enrique Barrios with a $10,000 peso donation from the IFC which was greeted with smiles and cheers from the dancers. This will help fund their tour of Mexico. If you are interested in personally supporting this group of fine dancers and helping them fund their trip to California please contact Professor Enrique Barrios Limon at the Department of Culture tel. 223-2500.

Tom Wichie

Tel. 224-3097

Email: tomar@hotmail.com

Some of this report was given at the March General Meeting, however, is given here for those who missed the meeting or have already headed north.

The committee hosted Dr. Bowman’s talk “Texas and the War with Mexico.” About 60 people attended. The lecture and Q&A period following were well received. $804.00 pesos were taken in and since delivered to the Jardin de Ninos at Colonio Brisas del Pacifico for purchase of needed school supplies.

The school, located in Colonia Primavera, requested our help in paying $44,000 pesos labor costs for construction of a “cancha” (outdoor basketball court, but also used for assemblies and recess). The city is providing $150,000 pesos for the cost of materials. The Club responded with a check for half the school’s labor assessment – reducing the fund raising needed to $22,000 pesos.

During March, we delivered donated school supplies collected throughout the year to:

1. Kindergarden at las Brisas

2. Special Education School No. 21

3. Approximately 38 accounting and scientific calculators were given to Becas for students going on to Preparatory Schools and Colleges

Yvonne Ward

Tel: 22-80050 Fax: 22-80458

Email: yvonneal@pvnet.com.mx

We're not quite back to square one--we have just received a goodly amount of pesos collected by our Silent Auction and energetic Coordinator, Marise Rolnick, to add to our net profit for this year's grand event.  (Our Treasurer Al Badner will do his accounting and give us a final total soon.)  In the meantime, Marise is still trying to track down a few bidders.  If you won a bid but did not pick up the article, please contact her at 221-5684 and she will make arrangements for delivery to you.

  We are already receiving calls for goods pickups for 2003.  What we need your help with, is scouting the city for a bodega (warehouse) suitable for our needs.  It should be on the ground level--can be a small apartment or garage, perhaps.  Since we are a charity, however, and it will be only for storage, the rental must be reasonable.

  While many of you will be gone for the months of May-October/November, keep in mind the need for saleable wares at the Bazaar--if coming back via air, consider small items (jewelry, children's items, clothes you plan to leave when you return); if by car/van you might be able to bring back a suitcase full.