Heather in Paradise » Fundraising

Bomberos’ Three Legged Race Video

heatherinparadise — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:02:57 +0000

I know it’s been months now since the Three Legged Race/Bar Crawl Fundraiser for the Riviera Maya Bomberos, but I’ve just now been given the resulting video of the event, made by my talented friend, Ken Brownlee, of Visual Media Productions. Can you spot Sara and me?

If you’d like to learn more about the history and current mission/goals of the Riviera Maya Bomberos organization, here is a video of the incomparable Comandante/Director Brian Borjesson

Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart, for your continued support of the Riviera Maya Bomberos. Hopefully we will never need them, but it’s reassuring to know we’ve got them on our side.

Last call before Sara and Heather drink too much alcohol!!

heatherinparadise — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:57:21 +0000

We’re just three days away from the annual Three Legged Race/Bar Crawl to benefit the Riviera Maya Bomberos.

The struggling economy has proved difficult for fundraising this year, and it’s fairly apparent we’re not going to meet or exceed last year’s donation total, but we’re still pretty stoked that we’ve raised a total of 1,422 usd to date!!! Yay, you people!

If any of you are in town, you MUST come down to La Ranita Bar, part of La Rana Cansada hotel on Calle 10 between avenidas 5 and 10, starting at 7 pm. Will this be the year that Heather’s “no-puke streak” ends? Only time will tell.

There’s still time to help our hardworking, life-risking firefighters earn money for needed equipment and training! No donation is too big or too small, every single centavo helps.

And remember, the highest individual donor gets to go on a date with Sara and Heather!

If you’d like to sponsor our team and raise money for Firemen who desperately need you, please donate by going to www.PayPal.com and clicking on the link that says “send money.” Then just follow the prompts to donate directly to us by using the following email address:

info@caribesunrise.com

Please be sure to write in your comments/subject line “Three Legged Race.” We will keep you updated with donation totals.

For further information or to register your team please call: 984-135-1233 or e-mail:

kegsbar@hotmail.com

We are also taking business/corporate sponsors!! Contact us at info@caribesunrise.com or editor@playamayanews.com if you’d like to be mentioned on Playa Maya News, Playa.info, and Heather in Paradise!!

You Are Powerless To Resist

heatherinparadise — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:01:23 +0000

Since my BFF Sara already started a “detox” diet and I started one today, we decided together to have a “last stand” at her house last Saturday. Hilarity ensued.

When I saw the photos we took of our wine/Almond Joy/gummi bear/Hershey’s bacchanalia, I couldn’t help but think that these photos would show all of our Three Legged Race sponsors just what an Olympics-quality team they’re standing behind.

For anyone considering sponsoring us, don’t miss your chance to win a date with these chicas by being the highest individual donor; they truly know how to have a good time. Our friend Maureen saw these photos and said we remind her of Lucy and Ethel. That was one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever gotten…Sara and I crack each other up.

I don’t feeeel so good.

I’m not sleeping, I’m just resting my eyes.

Do we have anything in our teeth?

info@caribesunrise.com

Please be sure to write in your comments/subject line “Three Legged Race.” We will keep you updated with donation totals.

For further information or to register your team please call: 984-135-1233 or e-mail:

kegsbar@hotmail.com

Help Get FREE Money for the Peanut Pet Shelter!

heatherinparadise — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:31:46 +0000

My friend Susie submitted our beloved Peanut Pet Shelter for consideration in the American Express Member’s Project 2008 competition. She was thrilled to find out her entry was approved, and now the shelter has a chance to win some of the 2.5 million usd American Express will be giving to winning projects.

Now, the 80+ dogs and cats that are being cared for at the Peanut Pet Shelter need your help, and it’s so easy to do it and won’t cost you a penny.

To nominate this project for potential funding, please go to Peanut Pet Shelter

Members Project is an exciting initiative that brings people together to make a difference in the world. It’s simple. People go online to share ideas for projects — and ultimately vote on which projects will share $2.5 million in funding from American Express.

You must register with your name and email address to be able to nominate the shelter, and while I know many of you might not care to give out your email address, American Express has stringent anti-spamming policies and won’t sell your information.

Please take a minute of your time and nominate the Peanut Pet Shelter and then send the link to everyone on your contact list asking them to do the same. Even winning the LEAST amount of money would be an almost otherworldly boon for the struggling shelter.

HURRY–we only have until September 1 to get the gazillions of nominations they need!

Thank you for helping to give shelter to starving, sick, and mistreated animals.

Bomberos Catamaya Sunset Cruise 2008

heatherinparadise — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:08:05 +0000

As many of you already know from past blogs (like the Three Legged Bar Crawl for Bomberos), the Riviera Maya Bomberos (firemen) are one of my favorite organizations. A strong, trained, and well-equipped fire team is vitally important to not only Playenses, but also tourists. Sooner or later, we all have a fireman to whom we owe a great big “thank you.”

Since August 22 is Mexico’s Dia Nacional del Bombero (National Fireman’s Day), a Sunset Cruise aboard the Catamaya has been organized for Sunday, August 24, with all proceeds from ticket sales to benefit the Riviera Maya Bomberos.

The cruise aboard the amazing Catamaya costs 80 usd per person and will sail from 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm. This price includes transportation to and from Playa del Carmen, sailing, snorkeling, open bar, and hamburgers/side dishes. I’ve been lucky enough to sail with Catamaya’s crew several times and can say nothing but wonderful things about them. They are hard-working, pleasant, friendly, and a barrel of fun.

For more information or to sign up, click here.

Don’t miss your chance to mingle with Bomberos Chief Brian Borjesson and some of his firemen…hey, ladies, maybe you’ll get to see this guy:

*Edited to add: any of my blogger friends want to go on this, let me know!!

Update: Peanut Pet Shelter Kennel Fundraiser

heatherinparadise — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:29:48 +0000

People, you are amazing. We are now just 40 usd away from sponsoring a third kennel!! We are up to 1,460 usd!!

We need one last little push to make it to 3 kennels! Andy posted about the material estimates he’s getting, and your support could not come at a better time.

As soon as we have made it to 3 kennels, I will post the blog poll to choose our name. There are a few people who have already mentioned they want to donate, so we can do it, I just KNOW it!!

Click here to watch a great slideshow put together by my (and Peanut Pet Shelter) friend, Linda Doggiemom (I tried multiple times to post it here, but couldn’t get it to show up).

Peanut Pet Shelter: Two Kennels and Counting!!

heatherinparadise — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:51:30 +0000

OMG, with the donations already sent and promised, we are up to 1,000 usd!! That means we have already sponsored two kennels!! My friend Sara of Playa Maya News is convinced that we can raise enough to sponsor ANOTHER one!!

Can you help us make it to 3 kennels?! Andy just posted about the material estimates he’s getting, and your support could not come at a better time.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You rule.

Click here to watch a great slideshow put together by my (and Peanut Pet Shelter) friend, Linda Doggiemom (I tried multiple times to post it here, but couldn’t get it to show up).

Peanut Pet Shelter Kennel Fundraising updates!

heatherinparadise — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:21:51 +0000

WOW, with the donations already sent and promised, we are up to 650 usd!! That means we have already sponsored one kennel and are only 350 usd away from being able to sponsor another!! You are all amazing, this is so exciting.

Can you help us make it to 2 kennels?!

Here is an update on the Shelter’s construction progress.

Here is Andy the Saint, holding Bambi. This photo speaks volumes about the kind of person Andy is. (Photo by Rick, stolen entirely without his permission.)

Results: Third Annual Three Legged Race/Bar Crawl for Bomberos

heatherinparadise — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:09:22 +0000

This past Saturday, my BF Sara and I teamed up to race in the Third Annual Three Legged Race/Bar Crawl to benefit the Riviera Maya Bomberos (Firemen). This year was the biggest event yet, and donation totals broke all previous records.

This year Sara and I raised 3,200 usd from generous contributions from visitors to her website, www.playamayanews.com and from the website I work for, www.playa.info (last year the most successful team raised only 600 usd!! (Which, incidentally, happened to be my team. Heh.). We also had fantastic corporate sponsorship from Royal Palms Condominiums, Blue Parrot Hotel and Beach Club, Babe’s Noodles and Bar, One Stop Real Estate, Dirty Martini Bar/Hole in the Wall Deli/Bar, and Yucatan Explorer. Caribe Sunrise also played a small role (you know, the greatest vacation rentals/property management company that Michael and I have ever owned).

Our Fire Chief, Brian Borjesson, was pretty gobsmacked by this year’s numbers, and promised to give us grand totals of all teams as soon as possible.

In his years acting as an unpaid comandante, Brian has taken an ill-equipped and undertrained force and has managed to turn out a team of firefighters that could make anyone proud. With less government funding than you might expect, Brian and the Bomberos rely on fundraisers and volunteer training from US firemen/heroes to turn out his top-notch team. This is a cause close to both Sara’s and my heart and we were overjoyed to have played a part in this fundraiser’s success.

This year, since I am in a cast, I was “allowed” to “run” the race in wheelchair, with Sara pushing me. Those with small minds who didn’t apparently realize this was for CHARITY (and also who don’t realize just how frickin’ impossible it is to get around in Mexico in a WHEELCHAIR) beefed (behind our backs, of course) about our “unfair” advantage, but as we predicted, we came in almost last. And f those idiots, anyway. Say some of that crap to my face next time, pendejo, and see what happens. I’ll put you in a wheelchair and see how you like it.

Thanks to Sara’s husband, Steve, I have some photos of the race. The ones I took turned out like crap.

At fair La Ranita Bar, where we set our scene. Notice the “puke tarp.”

Race winners and best lookin’ team, Carlos and Andy

Our two biggest sponsors were Royal Palms Condos with 500 usd and Blue Parrot/Playasia with 200 usd

Hotel Happy Gecko owner Wayne and Kathy

Luck O’ the Irish…that guy looks so much like a big leprechaun that it kind of freaks me out.

My old partner, Mayte, cheating on me with Lavinia. BTW, Ms. Lavinia, the next time you want to tell me I look retarded, you should take a look in the mirror (just so no one gets upset, Lavinia told me I looked ridiculous that night and I told her she should look at herself. So this is not an insult, it’s a joke, between me and MY FRIEND.)

Dutch Treats, Soraya and Jessica. As soon as they got their legs tied together, I heard Jessica say, “Uh oh, I have to pee.”

Vikings!

That final round is pretty rough. For the amateurs. (This is a joke and I did not mean to imply that these people are REALLY amateurs)

She looks a little skeptical

Slowest team of them all, Keith and Chris. They kept hugging everyone with their clammy beer-soaked selves. It was gross. (Just so everyone knows, Keith and Chris are two of my dearest friends and they were clammy and covered in beer, and everytime they hugged me that night, I told them so. So it’s A JOKE.)

The Jasons, who intimidated all comers with their confidence. They even stretched out before the race.

The adorable Smart Ass Blondes

Keith and my pretty Nurse Sara

Gary charming the ladies as usual

More of our sponsors

Soraya and I were feeling no pain! I think she might have even told me she loved me.

I can hardly wait until next year’s event!!