Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – We can all make a difference in the lives of Puerto Vallarta children and young people with cancer, and provide support to their families, by participating in this year’s “Mi Amigo Sin Pelo” campaign, set to be held on November 28, 2021 from 5:00 to at least 11:00 pm at Los Arcos del Malecón.
Organized by the Asociación Femenil Vallartense (Vallarta Women’s Association) to raise funds for children’s cancer treatments, the event aims to raise public awareness, to unite the community and to empathize with those who suffer from this disease.
Translating literally to “My Friend Without Hair,” the event features all kinds of family-friendly fun and games, including artists, clowns, culture, music, and food made by the mothers of children with cancer available for purchase. The public is invited to actively participate by making contributions and/or by having their heads shaved as a gesture of solidarity.
All of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Center for Children with Cancer (CANICA). Each year more than a thousand children and young people are diagnosed with cancer in Jalisco, and the center provides support for minors in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and other parts of the state.
The President of the Vallarta Women’s Association, Evelia Basañez, said that they are currently providing financial support to 21 low-income Puerto Vallarta families whose children are receiving treatment for cancer in Guadalajara.
These families must travel to the capital city up to four or five times every month, and they are hoping to raise at least $150,000 pesos to help solve transportation problems in getting these children to the treatment center.
“After a two year hiatus, this will be the eleventh in-person event here in Puerto Vallarta and, even when it was held virtually, the community’s response to Mi Amigo Sin Pelo has been extraordinary. Every year we have had entire families, and individuals close to those with cancer, shave their heads as a sign of solidarity,” she said.
“We are going to start where we left off two years ago, when the last “Mi Amigo Sin Pelo” event was held in person, by trying to raise at least 150 thousand pesos, which is not enough since we need between 500 and 600 thousand pesos a year to operate. But we have other fundraising events, such as the Gratitude Raffle, and community support from different non-profit organizations such as Alas de Águila and the Concierge Association. So we are not going to aim too high this year; what we want is to ensure that this campaign does not go by the wayside.”
This event will follow all Covid-19 safety protocols, and since it being held outdoors, it already has permits from the Puerto Vallarta City Council and the health sector.
“Our hope is that the population will continue to support this noble cause,” Basañez said, “bringing in acquaintances, friends, and family to raise resources that will serve to improve the living conditions of our children,” Basañez added.
To learn more about CANICA, visit canica.org.mx. For more information about this year’s edition of Mi Amigo Sin Pelo, visit the Facebook event page.
