El Segundo Rotary Donates Baseball Equipment to Mexico
Baseball Equipment Donated to Children
in Mexico
SNAGS, BUT SUCCESS . . . A TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE
Annually, the Rotary Club of El Segundo, California comes up with a program or two to serve the youth of Mexico – in particular Guaymas, San Carlos, Fatima, and San Jose areas. Whether it be a new playground at a school, sewing machines, woodshop tools, trees, paint or scholarships through Castaway Kids. Very early this year, we began to gather baseball equipment (El Segundo is known for its Baseball Teams). Little League, Babe Ruth League and Girls Softball soon began to drop off uniforms, shoes, bats, balls, mitts, and hats to our home. Thus, the journey began.
A cargo van with all of the equipment sorted and identified headed for Blythe, CA where we met with Castaway friend, Doug Groppenbacher. The equipment was transferred to his truck and trailer and we headed back to Los Angeles and Doug to Phoenix where he planned to add additional items to the load for one of his scheduled trips to San Carlos.
We all held our breath on departure day, March 3. Doug arrived at the border crossing in Nogales at 6:00am, armed with value declarations, itemized lists. Everything but the shoes , uniform pants and jerseys were not allowed to cross. Doug tried everything he could - but to no avail. The shoes and jerseys were not to be allowed in.
After driving back into Nogales, AZ, Doug unloaded, stored the shoes and jerseys (for a later pickup), repacked his truck and trailer and hit the border again. This time he was allowed to cross. Two flat trailer tires added to Doug’s 24 hour marathon finally arriving at Bahia Storage to unload the items for Castaway Kids on March 4.
This baseball equipment was a donation of the children of El Segundo Youth Sports to children in Guaymas and surrounding areas. Our primary equipment recipient, however, was designated to be Fundacion Aceptame Como Soy. This foundation provides a baseball program for more that 100 developmentally disabled children in Guaymas/Empalme. They play ball every Sunday morning at the Miramar Deportivo at 9:30 AM. We attended last Sunday and if you want to have your heart warmed make time to attend their game. The remaining equipment will be distributed by the Hinojos Family to neighborhood ball teams.
We again want to thank the Hinojos Family of Fundacion Aceptame Como Soy, Paulo Delgado of Bahia Storage, and The Castaway Kids, and El Segundo Rotary Club who have helped baseball programs continue to be alive and well throughout the greater Guaymas area. There is really no way to properly thank Doug Groppenbacher except to invite him to join us one Sunday morning in Miramar. Terry Challis
The Castaway Kids Website is here