Puerto Vallarta, México – Teatro Vallarta was filled with music, emotion, and community spirit this past Sunday afternoon during the Stars With A Heart benefit concert, a two-hour celebration that brought together more than 800 attendees in support of the Vallarta School for Girls.
Directed and produced by Mary Porter and hosted by Broadway veteran and beloved local performer Kevin Anthony, the event showcased the depth of talent found throughout the Banderas Bay area. Crist P. Thomas served as stage manager, with Sarah Joy and Derek Carkner as production assistants, ensuring a seamless and polished production.
The afternoon opened with a powerful video introduction highlighting the mission and impact of the Vallarta School for Girls. Grounded in the belief that education is a universal right, the school provides a safe, supportive environment where disadvantaged girls can live, learn, and grow. The results speak for themselves: the school has achieved a 100 percent graduation rate, with every student continuing on to higher education through full scholarships.
Audiences were treated to performances by an impressive lineup of artists, including Kevin Anthony, Bobbi Goddard, Enrique de Allende, Mary Porter, Stolie, Mayra & Martin, Kimberly LaRue’s Follies, Tromba Vestusta, Gabe Areiniego, Patriz, David Sabella, Stephanie Wright Watts, Robert Ryan, Alison Lo, Sargento Dan, Cate Valcic, David Maiocco, Sarah Joy, Bing Young, Seth Sikes, Nicolas King, Mark Hartman, David Freeman, Geo Uhrich, Michael Ferreri, Ava Nichole Francis, and others. Students from the Vallarta School for Girls also took part, underscoring the purpose behind the event.
The concert closed with a deeply moving finale as all performers and students gathered on stage to sing “What the World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love,” inviting the audience to join in. For many, it was an unforgettable moment that captured the heart of the afternoon.
Now in its fourth year, the Vallarta School for Girls was founded by Francie Nguyen and Cecil Kerfont to offer underprivileged girls a nurturing learning environment. Beyond academics, the school emphasizes real-world skills such as health, financial literacy, work readiness, bilingual education, and personal confidence, preparing students to become self-reliant and self-supporting young women.
The school is funded by the Girls Education Fund, a Puerto Vallarta-based nonprofit that is a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the United States. Donations from U.S. citizens are tax deductible, while Canadian donors may receive tax receipts through CanadaHelps.org by designating their gift to the Vallarta School for Girls.
During the event, founder Francie Nguyen shared news of an anonymous matching pledge of up to $50,000 USD for all donations made by February 1. If the community meets this goal, the school will receive a total of $100,000 USD—funding that will help secure its future. The same donor made a similar pledge last year, which enabled construction of a new permanent school building, scheduled for completion by August 2026.
As Stars With A Heart once again demonstrated, when talent and generosity come together, lasting change is possible. Donations toward the matching challenge are encouraged before the end of January, offering the community another opportunity to invest in education and opportunity for young women in Puerto Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta entertainment writer, Debbie White, contributed to this article.