Monday, April 11, 2011 10:56 AM
Rob Kinnon
6th Annual Three-Legged Bar Crawl Raises $30,000 MXN
On April 10, 2011, Playa del Carmen residents and visitors gathered together
to participate in one the region's best loved events, the annual Three-Legged
Bar Crawl to support the Bomberos of Quintana Roo. This year, marks the 6th
running of this event. A record 16 teams strapped themselves together for this
fun-filled race through the busy streets of this seaside city encouraged by the
cheers of onlookers and event sponsors. Organized by Brian Borjesson and a team
of volunteers, the three legged race is held every year to raise funds for the
firefighters. Borjesson is the President of both the Bomberos de la Riviera Maya A.C.
and Patronato
de Protección Civil para la Riviera Maya A.C. two organizations instrumental
in providing much needed support to our regional fire departments. As Comandante
of the Bomberos, he has donated his time and his expertise to help ensure the
safety of Riviera Maya residents by securing equipment and training for firefighters
throughout the state of Quintana Roo.
The Riviera Maya has experienced tremendous growth over the past two decades.
The increase in population has brought a dramatic increase in traffic and a
subsequent increase in potentially fatal accidents on the highways. In past
years several departments have been gifted with Jaws of Life, equipment which
is invaluable in the effort to save lives. The annual Bomberos' Training Academy
initiated by Borjesson provides essential instruction for local firemen teaching
them to effectively use these newly acquired tools. With support from guest
instructors from the United States, this week-long training exercise is often
the only organized instruction available to new firefighters. 
The Bomberos' Training Academy is now going into its 11th session,
an effort funded by donations from residents, visitors and Riviera Maya
business leaders. Until 1995, this city did not have a fire department. If
your home or place of business caught on fire, the only chance of saving life
and property was a community bucket brigade. The Three-legged Race and similar fundraising efforts are essential to support the Bomberos and
ensure the safety of our communities.
This year, over $30,000 mxn was
collected during this fundraising effort, money that will go toward the
purchase of updated equipment, training and community services. Special thanks
go out to all the participating restaurants: Bar Ranita, Babe's Noodles and
Bar, Manne’s Biergarten, Dirty Martini Bar, Bad Boys Beach Bar, The Tequila
Barrel and Zenzi Beach Club. 16 teams participated in this year’s race, the winners John Bekas (In the Roo) and Jorge Armenta (Playa Dentist) finished the course in an astounding 17 minutes. The official results are as follows:
Finish Team Time Names
1 Pinche Ponchos 17 John/
Jorge
2 Bar Ranita 2 17.5 Jasso/ Anna Maria
3 Butterflies 18 Kurt/ Kjersti
4 Ugly One 18.5 Bob/ Rita
5 Legs Just do it 19 Joe
C/ Victoria
6 Nerds on Fire 19.5 Richard/ Magnus
7 Little Vikings 20 Shawn/
Karin
8 Bar Ranita 1 20.5 Pocahontas/ Mark
9 Saas 21 Sarah/ Amy
10 Zenzi 22 Jazmin/ Karam
11 Tri Pod Fu 23 Daywen/ Tony
12 Gauchitas 31 Priya/ Rachel
13 The Mad Hatters 32 Alyssa/
Zack
14 Dirty Martini 41 Karen/ Doreen
15 The Karens 1.11 Karen/ Karen
16 Life is Good 1.31 Angie/ Tony
Please help support the efforts of our brave firefighters by sponsoring a team for the 2012 Three-legged
Race or buying a Bomberos t-shirt as a meaningful reminder of your time on the
Riviera Maya. To make a donation or for more information, please contact Brian
Borjesson at sicomono[at]prodigy.net.mx.