| | |  News from Around Banderas Bay | October 2008 
Children, Turtles and Marriott CasaMagna
 Chris Amo - Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation
Abrazos y besitos (hugs and little kisses) to the wonderful staff at the Marriott CasaMagna Hotel in the Marina who recently invited the children from Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza (R.I.S.E.), a children's shelter here in Puerto Vallarta, to participate in the release of some very small turtles into the ocean.
With a winning combination of facts, fun, and food, more than 40 of the children, ranging in age from 3 to 14 years, first received educational information about the life cycle, potential predators, and ecological efforts for turtles here in the Vallarta area.
Next, as the sun was setting, came the gentle release by each child of the tiny turtles on to the sandy beach in front of the Marriott Hotel. The children cheered for those that reached the waters edge first, and then shouts of "buena suerte" (good luck) could be heard as each turtle swam off into the surf.
Finally, the children were treated to pizza and drinks in a lovely outdoor setting. After all of the excitement most of the children fell asleep with sweet dreams in the vans on their way back to R.I.S.E.
For those of you who are new to Vallarta or unfamiliar with this wonderful place, Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza is a non-profit full care center which currently supports the physical, psychological, and educational needs of 54 children ranging in age from 1 year to 15 years.
While some of the children are placed at R.I.S.E. voluntarily by their families who are struggling and are not able to care for their children, many arrive through DIF (government social services agency) to avoid further dangerous, abusive, and neglectful situations. Financial stability, along with education, medical, and building improvement needs are always of concern at R.I.S.E. as it operates almost entirely on donations.
For more specific information about R.I.S.E. please view the website at Refugio-Infantil.org. Visits to R.I.S.E. between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday or 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays can be arranged by calling Sol Martinez Maciel, the marvelous, energetic administrator at R.I.S.E. at 222-7857 or by emailing her at elsoldevallarta(at)hotmail.com.
Monetary and material donations are always welcome and are tax deductible in the U.S. through Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation, and in Canada through Canadian Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation.
Chris Amo is the President of Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation and a regular volunteer at Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. |
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