Recent Events

Sponsored Snowmen

Our sponsored Snowmen fund-raising event for 2011 raised a total of 9,170 pesos to help our work.  Several local bars and cafes were involved and their customers were able yo "sponsor" a paper snowman by writing their name on it and having it displayed.  Thank you to all involved!

Christmas Fair and Market, 17 December 2011

The final accounts for the Christmas Fair and Market have now been completed and indicate that, after all costs have been met and final cheques (checks)  cleared by the bank, the event made 118,000 pesos to support our work.  This is enough to keep 79 children in school for another year.

On behalf of the Board of Sosua Kids, Thank You to everyone who helped make the Fair  so successful – to our business sponsors and other supporters who donated money and gifts, to the dedicated team led by Maggie Blackman who spent much time and effort organising the event, to our helpers on the day and to the visitors who came and spent their money in support of our work.

Click here to see photos of the Fair in the Gallery Section of this web site. Also see our Facebook Page and a Sosua News article dated 20 December 2011

The Third Annual MT Cervezaria Fundraiser held in Calgary, Canada in September 2011 was the most successful so far, raising at least 3,570 dollars for Sosua Kids.  A Big Thankyou everybody who put in so much hard work to make this event a success.

The Third Texas Scramble Golf Tournament held on 23 July 2011 at Pipestone Links Golf Course, Alberta, Canada repeated the success of previous years in raising much needed and appreciated funds for Sosua Kids.  Here is a report from Sosua Kids member Sue Bryan who organised the event.

It was another huge success in spite of many obstacles along the way.  We had horrible weather in the weeks prior to this event including, 60+ days of rain (buckets and buckets of it), hail storm on Monday with hail stones the size of golf balls that almost destroyed many homes in the area and damaged many trailers in our RV park, not to mention the pits in the greens on the course.  It poured ALL day Friday and we thought that the tournament would have to be cancelled as the course was flooded in many places, but the sun came out about 6:00 on Friday evening and the Pipestone staff began working like beavers to clean up the mess on the course.  They borrowed extra pumps to get the water off the fairways and greens so we could play.  They worked until all hours that night and then again in the morning.  Luckily and with the help of God above, the sun came up in the morning and began to help with the drying out process.  We had sun all day long with the exception of a few minutes when a big black cloud hovered above and spat a bit, then it just blew away.  We had a wonderful warm sunny day with tons of fun and everyone was so eager to part with their hard earned money to spend it on tickets, games and even the live Auction to build our pot for Sosua Kids.  Prizes were all donated generously by local businesses and individuals...without the prizes the funds would not be raised...so there will be thank you letters going out to our loyal sponsors within the next week.

The event raised $3,663 CDN (equivalent to $3,782 US), which is slightly more than last year.  Our special thanks are due to Sue and to everyone else who contributed to the success of this event.

Sosua Kids supporter Pete Rendic (on the right), who helped Sue Bryan organize the tournament, presents a cheque to our President, Janet Williams, and other members of our Board of Directors.

Easter Family Day

The Sosua Kids Easter Family Day at The Jolly Roger Bar in Sosua on Easter Saturday, 23 April 2011, was enjoyed by all and raised more than enough funds for us to be able to put 15 further children into school!.  To see some photos please visit the gallery page on this event. (Note:  Additional pictures are being loaded daily). 

Thanks for the success of this event are due to "the planning team" (Jenni, Maggie, Clare and Betty); to all who helped, both on the day and beforehand (by providing prizes etc); to The Jolly Roger Bar, who provided the venue and also contributed to initial set-up costs; to Coldwell Banker Amber Coast Realty, who also provided sponsorship; and of course to everyone who attended and spent money in support of a good cause.

Guest Chef Night.  Sosua Kids Vice-President Barb Andersen was "Guest Chef" at The Jolly Roger Bar on the evening of 10 April 2011.  The menu was Barbequed Ribs with beans and pasta followed by a carrot cake dessert.  Tickets at 250 pesos each were soon sold out.  Those who attended enjoyed an excellent meal and the evening, which also included a 50:50 raffle raised more than enough money for us to put 3 further children into school.

"Whose Wives Are They Anyway?"   Sosua Kids was represented, by two of its Board members plus our display stand, at the two performances of this play by The North Coast Players on 25 and 26 February 2011 at The Sosua Convention Centre.  The play was very well received by large audiences and our own raffle, which took place on the second night, raised over 3,700 pesos, more than enough to fund uniforms and supplies for two further children for a year.  For anyone who missed the announcement of the result of the raffle, the winning number was 226.

Following the event we also received a wonderful donation of 30,000 pesos from the organisers.  We are grateful to The North Coast Players for their generosity and congratulate them on the success of this production.

The "Pineapple Night" at The Checkpoint Bar on 26 December, raised 5,800 pesos for Sosua Kids.  Photos of the event are posted in our Gallery.  Special thanks are due to our supporters Alan and Jackie from The UK who hosted the evening and provided Archie The Teddy Bear, from Harrods Department Store in London, who was auctioned at the event.

The Sosua Kids Christmas Fun Fair 2010 was held in Beach Way Plaza, Sosua, on Saturday 18 December 2010.  It was clearly enjoyed by those attending and raised approximately 70,000 pesos to support our work. Please visit our Gallery to see some photos of this event.  We are very grateful to everyone involved, including those who worked so hard before and on the day and to those supporters who provided financial and other help to make the Fair possible.

The Third North Coast Golf Charity Classic Tournament was successfully held at the Playa Dorada course on Saturday 9 October 2010.  It was attended and enjoyed by more players than in previous years and, although final figures have yet to be announced, we are confident that Sosua Kids will benefit substantially from its share of the resulting proceeds.  Use the link at the start of this paragraph to see some photos.

Sosua Kids representatives at the golf tournament.

Following the tournament many of the golfers were joined by others at The Jolly Rogers Bar in Sosua where they witnessed the Great Charity Hair Cut and Shave.  Sosua Kids supporter and fundraiser, Pete Rendic, had grown his locks specially in preparation for this sponsored event and the results were stupendous - in terms of both Pete's appearance and the funds raised for Sosua Kids and The Friends of The Animals (and the hair went to charity too)!

 Before.........                                                        and after!

The second Texas Scramble Golf Tournament in aid of Sosua Kids, held at the Pipestone Links Golf Course, Alberta, Canada on 17 July 2010 was a great success, raising US$ 3,571 - more than double the amount raised by the same event in 2009.  53 players and 9 non-players took part.  The money was raised by various means, including registration fees for the event and the raffle and auction of prizes.  Special Tnanks are due to Sosua Kids member Sue Bryan, who organised the event together with her husband Ron, and also to Sosua Kids supporter and fundraiser Pete Rendic, who acted as Visiting Golf Pro from Sosua, and to Jody Toponiki (formerly of The Hideaway and Jolly Roger Bars in Sosua) and his friend Cynthia who provided the music.  Thank you of course also to everyone who took part!

A Yard Sale subsequently organised by Betty and Bruce Lammie of Pipestone and held on 31 July raised a further $US 285 for Sosua Kids through sales and donations.  So special thanks to Mr and Mrs Lammie and the visitors to their sale.

The second Annual MT Cervezaria Fundraiser For Sosua Kids, held in Calgary, Canada on 19 June 2010 was attended by over 60 people and raised more than CDN $2,000  for Sosua Kids.  We hope to be able to provide further information soon.  Meanwhile, our thanks again to Thomas and Maureen Behl, the organisers, and to all others who contributed to the success of this year's event.

A 50/50 Raffle, organised by Sosua Kids and held at Beecher's Bar in Sosua at its Grand Opening on 24 April 2010 raised a total of 6,950 pesos (enough to pay for the uniforms and school supplies for four children for one year).  This included a generous contribution of part of her prize by the winner of the raffle, who was described by our reporter as "a beautiful blonde lady named Stella".  Thank you Stella - and also to everyone else who bought tickets!

Quite a few further tickets for our raffle of a week's accomodation in a luxury villa at Hispaniola, Sosúa were also sold.  The winner of this raffle was announced to be Walter Higgins from British Columbia, Canada, who had bought his tickets online.  Congratulations to him!  (The final income which Sosúa Kids gained from ticket sales will be published shortly).  Again, thank you to everybody who took part.

Beechers co-owner Sue serves the food, much appreciated by Sosua Kids Member, Dave Auffret, (in the pink shirt) and a local resident, Jim Reed.

A "Pineapple Night" fundraising evening  at The Checkpoint Bar on 22 January 2010, generously hosted by our longstanding supporters Jackie and Alan from Southampton, UK, raised over 8,000 pesos for Sosua Kids, more than enough to pay for five childrens' uniforms and supplies).  Money was raised by the sale of raffle tickets and of straws which gave the opportunity to sip the "juice" from a pineapple (which tasted rather stronger than normal pineapple juice!).  The raffle prizes were a carrot cake, donated  by The Checkpoint, two lovely teddy bears (from the prestigious London store Harrods)  brought in by Jackie and Alan, and a 50% share of the takings from the sales.  The winner of the takings generously donated her prize to Sosua Kids.

Thank you to Jackie and Alan, to The Checkpoint and to everybody who helped us by participating in this event!

  This supporter was happy to buy raffle tickets (although he won nothing!)

Prize winner and prize at The Checkpoint Bar. 

Please look at our Gallery to see some further photos.

The formal opening of Donovan's Reef Bar (situated in Beachway Plaza, Sosua) on 26 December was kindly organised by the owners as a fund-raising event for Sosua Kids.  Food was provided to guests free of charge but they were invited to make a contribtion to our charity.  Thank you to the owners, who generously provided an excellent buffet, and to all those guests who together contributed over 6,000 pesos to Sosua Kids!  A special thankyou also to George, the DJ for the evening, who additionally donated his fee of 2,000 pesos!

  A good time was had by all!

Cathy, joint owner with husband David of Donovan's Reef, with the collection box.

You Can Help Us!

Please let us know if you have any ideas for future fund-raising events or if you would like to be involved in events which we organize.