Amigos Donates 2 Computers to Local School Amigos de La Cruz
December 9, 2011

A "seed" planted back in May has finally come to blossom as of Tuesday, December 6th. On that afternoon, Amigos de La Cruz presented the Escuela Primaria Juan Escutia (Elementary School) with two desktop computers. The director of the afternoon session at that school (located at the end of calle Coral near the Pta. Mita highway), Tomás Gonzalez (known affectionately to his students as "Profe Tomás") spoke on behalf of his staff and students, thanking Amigos for the generous gift and support for the school.

The genesis of this event is quite amazing. A year and a half ago, Amigos Shirley and Bill McGrath coordinated a clean-up and repainting at the escuela and became friends with "Profe Tomás" and this last May, when a support crew was needed for a clean-up at the arroyo in El Mangal (Los Mangos colonia), the McGraths called on the director who recruited 30+ eager children to pitch in. The project was a huge success and all involved had a great time working together.

In conversing with Prof. Gonzalez, the McGraths found out that the afternoon session of classes at the school are operated completely independently of the morning session, including staff AND equipment. There were no computers available to the staff or children.

As a result of this "discovery", Amigos de La Cruz initiated the Computers for Schools project. Much as we would love to report that there has been a steady flow of computers into La Cruz, we have discovered that there are many obstacles.

Nonetheless, thanks to Amigos Clark & Suzanne Cochran, part-time residents of La Cruz and permanent residents of Los Gatos, CA., a very good conditioned desktop was obtained. Amigos secured an authorized document to aid in the importation of the unit which was shipped from the Cochrans to Amigos Lori & Randy Wilson in Reno NV. who were headed to La Cruz in their vehicle. Once the computer arrived in town, it was delivered to Amigo Eduardo Miranda, proprietor of Compu-Electrónica, our local computer store. Eduardo wiped the hard drive and reformatted the unit for use in the school.

Meanwhile, back in their US home in Walnut Creek, CA., the McGraths, ever the major Amigos boosters, were spreading the word about the project. One day we received an inquiry from Shirley asking if we could supply to her the exact cost of a new desktop computer (to be purchased locally/MX) which we obtained from Eduardo. Shirley was asking on behalf of a friend, Julia Challinor, who, once informed of the cost, promptly submitted over $5,500 pesos to Amigos via PayPal. From Amsterdam, Netherlands! This will surely stay in the records as the "longest-distance" donation to Amigos de La Cruz.

Thus, on this past Tuesday, a newly refurbished and a brand new computer were happily delivered to their new home at Escuela Primaria Juan Escutia where they will hopefully be joined by more in the future as Amigos continue to step forward.

The Computers for Schools project is an ongoing effort to procure high quality used or new computers for use in La Cruz Schools. If you can help in any way, click HERE  and select "Donate Supplies" in the subject box.

And so we say to Ms. Challinor, the McGraths, the Wilsons, Sr. Miranda and the Cochrans; JOB WELL DONE and muchisimas gracias!

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