Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - What could be better than receiving the following testament to our Becas Breakfasts than this e-mail, received the very next day from Gourmet Chef and owner of the Essence of Cuisine Cooking School, Y. Dolores Brittingham?

"Thank you so much for the effort you and the other members put forth on the Becas Breakfasts. They are always so much fun and it is always nice to see all your friends and other interesting ladies in their finery.

We thought the food was delicious. I ate all of mine, and had several glasses of the punch that I also thought was delicious.

I loved the fashion show and always enjoy watching the beautiful models do their thing. We will want tickets to the next one. The gifts are always outstanding, so thanks again for all of your work."

Makes a gal proud to have such a satisfied friend and patron of Becas Vallarta.

I have to agree with her on both the food and the punch. The punch was a concoction with red wine, cut up fruit and who knows what else, but it truly was delicious.

After the young and handsome waiters at Mangos Beach Club had served the punch, they served the steaming hot, mouthwatering carrot soup. The soup was followed by chicken breast stuffed with spinach and cheese, a mixed salad, and rolls.

Kudos for Alex Diaz, the owner of Mangos Beach Club who oversaw the entire menu.

Members of Becas had filled the walls with a visual history - photos of Becados members and patrons from many eras which truly showed the incredible, 51 year old program that has funded the educations of thousands of Vallarta’s youth. This year the program is supporting 421 students.

Great door prizes from El Coyul Licoria, Cinépolis, Pan & Qu, and Ohtli Spa Marriott Casa Magna, were awarded to patrons just for coming.

During the event, loyal and intrepid Becas members Aurora de la Torre and Carl Johnson passed through the crowd selling raffle tickets for $50 pesos for one and 3 for $100 pesos. Our patrons are always eager to buy tickets because our prizes are, thanks to the local businesses, always top notch.

We enlisted Gil Givens, author of "Puerto Vallarta on 49 Brain Cells a Day," "Refried Brains," "Puerto Vallarta on a Donkey a Day," and his latest, a novel "Slime and Punishment" to call the numbers. His humorous remarks about each item made the usually boring calling of raffle numbers, hilarious and fun.

Our patrons won prizes from the following businesses:
• Adauto’s Beach Club-Bucerias
• Andale Restaurant
• Archie’s Wok
• Café des Artistes
• Casa Isabel
• Cassandra Shaw
• Cinépolis
• Coco’s Kitchen
• Contempo
• Daiquiri Dicks
• El Arrayon
• Florat
• Flowers to Go
• Galería Vallarta
• Hacienda San Angel
• Jorge Acosta
• La Burgueria
• Lalo Morales
• La Palapa
• Los Bambinos
• Lucy’s Cucu Cabaña
• Gil Givens
• Marcel Mico Pilates
• Nacho Daddy
• No Way Jose
• Pan & Que
• La Piazetta
• River Café
• Teresa Luna Reyes
• Xocodiva
• R Salon
• Vallarta Botanical Gardens
• Marriott Casa Magna Spa Ohtli
• Gary Beck’s Restaurant Guide
• The Marriott Restaurants - Micado and La Estancia

This is a gigantic thank you to all for being supporters of Becas - good times or bad, month after month, year after year.

After the sumptuous meal and all the prizes had been awarded, a bevy of gorgeous models from PassArela Group sauntered through the tables wearing the very latest fashions from our own Liverpool Department Store. Integrated with the professionals were Becas members Patti Bishop, Jane Peabody, and Marcelo Mico looking very much professional themselves.

Thanks to Israel Soto Monroy Cortes from Liverpool who arranged it all.

The entire event was a slam dunk for President Mariel Fregoso, Linda Wirth and all Becas members, Alex Diaz’s Mangos Beach Club, Liverpool’s Israel Soto Monroy Cortes, the patrons who loyally buy tickets to our events, and all who worked so hard to make it grand.

See you all on December 5th at Vitae’s Becas Breakfast at 9:30 am. Tickets are $150 pesos and are limited to 120 which is all the space allows. Call Polly or any member of Becas for your tickets.