Led by District 5810 (North Texas), the 10 Lone Star P.E.T.S. Districts including 25 Rotary, Rotaract and Interact clubs in Texas and Oklahoma, spent the fall of 2023 raising funds and collecting 460 boxes of donations containing 26,383 books, 404 Days for Girls feminine hygiene kits, 1,361 boxes of crayons, 1,027 pairs of scissors, assorted other school supplies, 284 pairs of tennis shoes and sandals, 143 backpacks, recreational equipment, and medical supplies based on a needs assessment performed by receiving District 4195 in Yucatan, Mexico.
Rotary is especially proud of the donation of books which were largely recycled from school districts to be loved by a new child and help the students in Mexico learn English, which will serve their vocational needs as well.
On November 30, 2023, the Carnival Valor graciously delivered these 10 pallets/12,925 pounds of supplies for children in the Merida and Progreso, Yucatán communities. To celebrate the arrival of the items, Carnival welcomed local dignitaries, including Yucatan Undersecretary of Tourism Raul Paz, Progreso Education Director Daniela Nuñez, and Rotary International’s President Gordon McInally, Trustee Jennifer Jones, and Vice President Pat Merryweather-Arges for a reception aboard Carnival Valor in Progreso.
“Carnival Cruise Line is committed to supporting the residents and businesses that surround our port operations,” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “Partnering with Rotary International Districts to facilitate transporting this large donation to Progreso on Carnival Valor and delivering it to youth in surrounding areas is a unique way for Carnival to positively impact the lives of those in our destination communities. We extend a special thank you to our port partner SSA Mexico and government leaders for their assistance in making this delivery possible.”
In addition to the delivery on the Valor, international shipping company DHL greatly contributed by providing complimentary shipping of 17 boxes/465.4 pounds of 381 school supply kits for the local children in Progreso, which brought the total donations to 460 boxes/13,390.4 pounds/469 cubic feet for this project.
The Rotary Clubs of Merida Itzaes, Progreso and Tulum will be busy distributing the donations to local schools in the next several weeks and providing the Days for Girls training as they distribute the 404 hygiene kits. Plus on the arrival date of the pallets, with President McInally playing Santa, Rotarians had great fun distributing some of the donations including Christmas books and bags of candy for every student at a local primary school.
This delivery in Progreso is part of an ongoing partnership between Rotary International Districts and Carnival. Earlier in 2023, Carnival worked with Rotary District 5810 to deliver 11 pallets of supplies/9,298.5 pounds/453 boxes to the Cozumel, Mexico and Roatan, Honduras communities. Carnival has also committed to continuing this relationship promising to deliver 8 shipments per year to aid local Rotary clubs and Districts so their donations can reach communities throughout Mexico and the Caribbean.
“This initiative is a wonderful example of how we can truly make a difference when our volunteers join forces with the private sector and local communities,” said Rotary International President Gordon McInally, who was in Progreso to welcome the Carnival Valor delivery. “We thank Carnival for helping us transport these much-needed items to Mexico and are so proud of the work of the 11 Districts that participated in this international effort.”