Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - The Ángeles en Libertad civil association invites everyone to participate in this year's 'Destapate y Dona Vida' (bottle caps for life) campaign. As in years past, they are collecting plastic bottle caps and aluminum can pull-tabs to be sold to a recycler to help cover the medical expenses of local people with life threatening illnesses and limited financial resources.

For the first four years, the event was called 'Destapate Contra el Cancer.' The funds were used to provide cancer studies, treatments and chemotherapies to Jalisciense adults and children who had cancer, but limited incomes. In 2015, the name was changed to 'Destapate y Dona Vida' to include other debilitating health issues suffered by low-income individuals in Jalisco.

During the sixth stage of 'Destapate y Dona Vida,' which was held in November 2016, almost nine tons of recyclables were collected. After 5 months of cleaning and separating the bottle caps and pull tabs, they were delivered to the recycler on May 5, 2017, and netted $50,000 pesos, which is being used to provide medical assistance, medicine and specialized equipment (e.g. wheelchairs) to those who need it most.

This year, Ángeles en Libertad and Puerto Vallarta en tu Mano will be hosting Stage 7 of Destapate y Dona Vida campaign at Los Arcos del Malecón Puerto Vallarta on Saturday, June 24 from 12 noon to 11 pm. They have organized an entertainment program that includes local musicians, singers, dancers, clowns and variety shows, in hopes that passers-by will stop to enjoy the show, learn more about the program and make a donation to this worthy cause.

They will, of course, also be collecting plastic bottle caps and aluminum can pull-tabs, so start saving your recyclables now, because Lo Que es Basura Para Unos es Vida Para Otros. (What is trash to some is life to others.)

Ángeles en Libertad and Puerto Vallarta en tu Mano are working hard to make Stage 7 of the Destapate y Dona Vida event equally or more successful as previous events, and hope that the Summer 2017 campaign will bring in at least 5 tons of all kinds of bottle caps and pull-tabs for recycling.

"We'll be in the city center, on the Malecón; we want to collect as many bottle caps and pull tabs as we can, but we also want to raise awareness and highlight the importance of supporting the less fortunate who are suffering from life threatening illnesses. We invite everyone to witness the testimonials of some people who have benefited from this program, and experience the social solidarity produced through this initiative," a spokesperson for the non-profit association said.

For more information, call Sofía de Vega at 044-322-146-2529, or send an email to angelesenlibertad.sofia(at)gmail.com.