On Sunday, February 19, we celebrated our 21st anniversary with our first live, post-Covid party in three years. Those fortunate to attend had loads of fun, and many rated it our best party, ever. We were happy to see many new faces as well as old friends there.
Held at the beautiful Casa Grande in San Javier, the party featured delicious botanas and desserts prepared by Chef Susan Pataky and her crew of volunteers (especially Sue Meyers), a cash bar, a silent auction of 36 terrific items and a raffle of 10 prizes (all donated by local merchants and individuals). Terri’s Tiny Tiendita offered new merchandise upstairs, and Suzy’s tienda of donated merchandise operated downstairs. Live Cuban music performed by El Jilguero Sonero and later by Geoff Brown’s Cool Cats drew many of us to the dance floor. A “photo studio” with pet paraphernalia invited guests to pose for silly portraits.
at Terri’s Tiny Tiendita
John Denissen created a video heralding our achievements, including the sterilization of more than 23,000 dogs and cats, and displaying many photos of our activities, veterinarians, student vets, other volunteers, and beneficiaries. The video gave special recognition to our major contributors and to eight outstanding Amigos volunteers over the past three years: Dyan Amirault, Ri Chan, Vero Mares, Betsy McNair, Marion and Lyle Pritchard, Susan Pataky, and Terri Rasmussen. It also paid tribute to recently deceased friends of Amigos, including Joan Romero Hicks de Romero, our vice president, whom we have honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Amigos President Tom Reavley spoke briefly, thanking the community for its generous support of our organization over the past two decades. He acknowledged the hard work of our volunteers, including our board of directors and those who created the Fiesta. He mentioned the generous support of Ricardo Herbert, owner of the Casa Grande, for giving us the use of the party facility. A complete list of the Fiesta’s volunteers and donors appears at the end of this Newsletter.
Tom also announced a new annual award, the Sandra Ward Founder’s Award, named after our founding president. This year’s recipients are board members Joslyn Lewis and Jim Sullivan, who, besides organizing the Fiesta and a Meet & Greet last September, and volunteering at our sterilization campaigns, have assumed responsibility for managing our finances, social media, and tech support.
The celebration did not end with the Fiesta. Our online auction, offering 63 more exciting prizes, continued until the evening of February 23. When it ended, the Fiesta, the raffle, proceeds from Terri’s Tiny Tiendita and Suzy’s Tienda, the silent auction, and the online auction netted $232,500 pesos (approximately $11,625 dollars).
Our Fiesta was a dazzling cap to another successful year for Amigos and a tremendously fun way to celebrate our amazing accomplishments over the last 21 years—all thanks to you, our generous supporters!
Fiesta donors
Venue, music, video, photo booth, decorations
La Casa Grande: Ricardo Herbert
Cool Cats: Geoff Brown, Armando Robledo
El Jilquero Sonero: John Denissen and Jim Sullivan
Amigos video: John Denissen
Photo booth: Kimberli Isaacs and Kris Santiago
Food and drinks
Peggy Ball, Rosemarie Conde, Joslyn Lewis, Miko Mosher, Susan Pataky, Marion Pritchard, Suzy Thompson
Auction prizes
Adriana Passion Estética & Spa, Alfarería Tradicional Gorky González, Guille Amezquita, Hugo Anaya, Anonymous donor, Sharon Bailin and Adam Horvath, Martine Bilodeau, Renée Bouthot, Geoff Brown, Cerámica Capelo, Iliana Cervantes, Medicina Estética Cervantes, Saul Cervantes, Dena Chen and Kjetil Hovda, Clínica Veterinaria Can-Cat, Clínica Veterinaria Integral Guanajuato, John Collins, Guanajuato Walking Tours, Estela Cordero Cabrera de la Casa de Estela y Virgio B&B, John Denissen and Steve Murdock, Wayne Elias of Dairquiri Dick’s on the Beach, Jacquie Elliott of Life Coaching, Jack and Jacquie Elliott, Emerald Isle Golf Course, Escuela de Idiomas Falcón, Barry Evans and Luisa Rogers, Fiziotec, Genie Fuller, Jolene Gailey, Gabriela García, Claudia García Ruvalcaba, Julián Gaxiola, Hotel Villa María Cristina, Kimberli Isaacs, Carol Jackson and Art Bone, Jeniffer Jazminne of Quetzal, JetBlue, Nina Johnson, Mary Jordan and Peter Pope Jones of Casa de Colores B&B, Don and Arlene Lang, Constance LaLena, Joslyn Lewis, Samantha López and Miguel Melo of Santo Huacal, Ron Mann and Sandra Ward, Domingo Martínez of Amatxi, Claudia Elizabeth Mata Castillo, Betsy McNair of My Mexico Tours, Mondavi Puerto Vallarta, Vicky Moore of 4 Patitas Boarding & Day Care, Miko Mosher, Ellen Ottoson, Sue Parry, Susan and Endre Pataky, Terri Rasmussen, Tom Reavley, Tomy Reavley and Guille Amézquita of Casa San Sebastian, Armando Robledo, Victoria Ryan of Casa Encantada, Fátima Salazar of Salazar Estúdio de Belleza, Gilberto Salazar, Julia Salido, Euclides Santiago, Carolyn R. de Solis of Perfect Skin, Mary Sausen, Thomas Settel, Michael Severens, Austin Starr, Jim Sullivan, Soledad Torres, Cuauhtemoc Trejo, Turismo Alternativo en Guanajuato, Sandra Ward, Juan Jesús Vargas, Alan Wright
Raffle prizes
Adriana Passion Estética & Spa, Delicia Pastelería, Portofino, Restaurant de los Santos, Sabor y Arte, Trattoria Terraza Marfil
Suzy’s Tienda merchandise
Too numerous to list
Volunteers
Planning Committee: Rosemarie Conde, John Denissen, Joslyn Lewis, Jim Sullivan, Suzy Thompson, Sandra Ward
Publicity, social media, signage: Joslyn Lewis, Martín Lozano, Jim Sullivan, Sandra Ward
Decorations: Kimberli Isaacs, Kris Santiago
Botanas: Susan Pataky, Kimberly Davis, Vicky Lever, Joslyn Lewis, Sue Meyers, Donald Mills, Sue Parry, Marianne Pulfer, Maron Pritchard, Brenda Rodríguez Terrón, Kris Santiago, Mary Saussen, Maureen Steltman
Desserts: Miko Mosher, Peggy Ball, Rosemarie Conde, Joslyn Lewis, Suzy Thompson
Drinks: Steve Murdock, Fawn Potash, Lisa Wolter, Terry Woodruff
Ticket sellers: Jim Sullivan, Robin Bram, Bill Merrell
Masters of ceremony: David Spencer, Tom Reavley
Auctions (silent and online): John Denissen, Rosemarie Conde, Jann Lee, Joslyn Lewis, Mary Sausen, Jim Sullivan, Suzy Thompson, Sandra Ward
Raffle: John Denissen, Joslyn Lewis, Tom Reavley, Suzy Thompson, Sandra Ward
Suzy’s Tienda: Suzy Thompson, Mary Beth Canavan, Isabelle Felder Gillis, Maureen Neely
Terri’s Tiny Tiendita: Terri Rasmussen, Dyan Amiraut, Charles Rasmussen
Setup and cleanup: Dyan Amirault, Robin Bram, Susan Castelazo, Rosemarie Conde, John Denissen, Miles Henkel, David Hester, Kimberli Isaacs, Joslyn Lewis, Steve Murdock, Charles and Terri Rasmussen, Kris Santiago, Jim Sullivan, Bob and Suzy Thompson, Sandra Ward, Lisa Wolter