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 News from Around Banderas Bay | December 2007 
A Great Day for Toys For Tots
 Peter Gray - PVNN
Toys for Tots is all about amassing funds for this year's target of twelve thousand toys to be given out in the New Year and the construction of more children's playgrounds.
Sponsors like Scotiabank, the Casa Magna Marriott Hotel, Vista Vallarta Golf Club, Continental Airlines and Coldwell Banker/La Costa Realty help turn these targets into reality.
But much of the funding has to come from the generosity of the community at large. Hence the Annual Golf scramble and Gala Dinner, which aims to provide a great day of modest exercise and major self-indulgence for all, in exchange for a modest contribution to the Toys For Tots fund.
Each year, the targets that are set inch up a little higher. Which means the annual fund-raiser has to be better and more successful than the last. By general consent, this year's event, under the energetic leadership of Dusty Graham, has been rated the most successful ever.
This year, the Golf event and the Gala Dinner had to be held on the same day. So all credit to the golfers who were all lined up to start at eight o'clock on a Sunday morning at the Vista Vallarta Golf Club. And who recovered from their exertions enough to be at the Casa Magna Marriott Hotel by six-thirty in the evening.
By that time the wide corridor that leads to the dining room was a sea of thirsty people enjoying the fine wines and other libations generously provided by the management of the hotel, headed by Dennis Whitelaw. The excellent dinner that followed was also courtesy of the Marriott. Music for dancing, provided by Coldwell Banker, continued during and after the meal and some of the older generation more than held their own with the younger generation.
Also prominent, and the target of many ladies' glances, was Marine Sergeant Devon Goodwin, who flew up from his duties in Mexico City as a reminder to us all that it was the U.S. Marine Corps who first initiated Toys For Tots following World War II.
A hand-picked selection of donated paintings and other valuable articles attracted many people to place their bids in a silent auction. Most returned periodically to make sure they were still the top-bidder.
It is worth noting that, thanks to the Vista Vallarta Golf Club and the Marriott, all the costs of these events are donated free and clear, so every peso and cent raised on the day goes straight into the Toys For Tots coffers. While final estimates are not in, the total amount raised this year is in the neighborhood of $800,000 pesos, up about .5% from last year.
This event could not be possible without the hard-work of many Toys For Tots supporters. Among them were Dusty Graham, Dorothy and Fred Piontkowski, Ann and Jerry Lafferty, Larry Greenburg, Al Goldspiel, Lita Aguirre, Josefina Naya, Bill Clark, Robert Bertrand, Kelly Trainor, Maxine Peterson, Jeff and Sally Miltenberger.
The winners at the golf event were:
Winning Team - Angel Rivas, Robert Fortura. Francisco Encisco, John Holever.
Highest Score Team - Joy Johnson, Judy Sorrell, Patty Clarkson, Jan Mitchell.
Lucky Draw Team - Dick Owens, Dave De Tomaso, David Winters, Dick LaVie.
Longest drive (hole #10) Jon Skogen.
Closest to pin (hole #7) Victor Villanueva.
Closest to pin (hole #15) Israel Gallegos. |
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