Bucerías, Nayarit, Mexico - The 2nd Annual Benefit for VIDA Internacional Children's Centres will be held on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 4:00 pm at the beautiful tropical style resort Los Arroyos Verdes, approximately 3 miles east of Highway #200 in Bucerías, at Estaciones 1099 Ote, Bucerías. Prominent local business women Guadalupe Dipp has generously offered to host the event at her resort.

The 2018 Stars of Banderas Bay Benefit is raising funds for the two VIDA Children's Centers in CartonLandia and Mezcales, which were built to provide English education, hot meals, clothing, school supplies and spiritual development for the local children and their families.

We plan to raise $450,000 Pesos ($25,000 USD) to cover the needs for both Children's Centers' supporting their annual ongoing needs, and teaching English educational programs for one year.

Benefit tickets are $300 pesos for adults and children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available at Los Arroyos Verdes Resort, the weekly Wednesday Bucerías Market and the weekly Saturday Nuevo Vallarta Marina Market.

For additional information, please contact Phyllis Wordhouse at wordhouse777(at)gmail.com, or Karen King at kingkaren2(at)hotmail.com.

The 2018 Stars of Banderas Bay Benefit event will feature local area talented musicians, consisting of: Mexican Folk Singer, Bianca; The Strummers and The Hummers; Bucerías Acapella Group; Nayarit business man David Ruesga Angles playing guitar and singing; Doug DeMeerleer on Bass with guest; and Kathy Overly singing Show Tunes.

Come casual, have fun with your friends, and enjoy the music, 50/50 Raffle, and Silent Auction, which includes original paintings, lovely prints, jewelry, purses, Mexican handmade table runners, and other items. Refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the event, including beverages, snacks, and homemade pastries.

Transportation is available with various Nayarit groups in La Cruz, Punta de Mita, Bucerías, Nuevo Vallarta, Paradise Village, Playa Royale, and Ocean Vista Residences who are hiring taxis to take groups up to 14 people to and from the event. Pre-paid round trip cost is approximately 100 pesos per person. Free parking will also be available.

Our focus for 2018 is to raise enough money to cover both Children Centers' educational costs, and make all of CartonLandia's utilities totally operational, finish the kitchen, and finish securing the building, so local mothers can prepare and cook hot nutritious meals at CartonLandia' s Children's Center twice a week.

CartonLandia is a squatter's village of 10,000 people, located near San Vicente. Currently 9 teacher volunteers teach English there every Saturday and bring in food to feed the children. This facility is not finished. Our 2017 fundraiser paid for the electricity and water to be brought into the building; started the equipping of the kitchen by purchasing stoves, fans, doors, locks, refrigerator, freezer, interior finishing, indoor plumbing, water system, electrical connections, lighting and security items; and provided the materials needed for English lessons.

The Mezcales Children's Center was also built by VIDA International to help the local children and their families. There are twelve volunteers teaching conversational English every Tuesday and Thursday in this after school program. Each day a nutritious hot lunch is prepared, cooked, and served by the local mothers.

All proceeds will go to the Feed the Children Fund, which is used for feeding and supporting 150 local Nayarit children, and making a difference in their lives.