Monday, January 21, 2013 5:00 AM
Rob Kinnon
Playa del Carmen Charity Seeks Donations for Auction
Playa del Carmen's KKiS Project (Keeping Kids in Schools) will be holding their 2nd Annual Charity Auction on February 28th, from 11:00 am - 2:30 pm at Wah Wah Beach Bar. This fundraising event will be a Luncheon with Open Bar and an exciting LIVE auction with all proceeds going to support KKiS efforts in 2013.
Event tickets are $20 USD or $250 pesos and will be for sale
beginning
February 1st. Tickets are available from any of the KKiS Board members
or
friends of the Board or you can contact Gayle Collins at
kkisproject@gmail.com. If you are planning to attend, please consider
bringing along a few school supplies for this kids. Those that would
like to make a donation but
can't attend the auction may do so via Paypal using the email address
kkisproject@gmail.com.
This is the only fundraiser that KKiS puts on during the year. The 2012
KKiS Charity Auction raised over $8100 USD for the project, an enormous
success for this fledgling organization. Please help KKiS meet their
goal of helping 500 children this year!
The organizers are now looking for donations for the auction. Popular auctions items include:
- Hotel Stays
- Vacation Rentals
- Spa Services
- Bar & Restaurant Gift Certificates
- Tours & Excursions
- Fishing Charters
- Jewelery
- Artwork
- Home Furnishings - new or very gently used
- Photo Sessions
- Gym Memberships
- Yoga Classes
- Transport Services
If you or your business would like to contribute an item or service for
the auction please contact Gayle Collins via email
kkisproject@gmail.com. If you have items that require pick up, that can be easily arranged. If you know of anyone who might like to participate in or make a donation for this event, please point them toward this blog post.

About KKiS: The goal of KKiS is to keep kids enrolled in school by supplying uniforms,
providing school supplies and backpacks, securing English language
materials for the classroom and providing volunteers for the classrooms
to help students learn English.
The
reasons students don't stay in school are varied and complex. One of the biggest obstacles families face is the financial burden of purchasing required uniforms, books and school supplies. The support provided by KKiS will mean the difference between a child leaving school after completing elementary school or perhaps being able to complete secondaria and even moving on to preparatoria and beyond!
Currently, KKiS is working in cooperation with Pelopides School,
an elementary school
in the under-served Guadalupana neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Playa del Carmen. The school is run by the La
Salle organization of the Catholic Church. While it is a private institution, Pelopides was selected because they are one of the few schools
to provide financial
scholarships their students. At the moment, 50% of their student
population is afforded reduced or free tuition, known here as "becas".
Some students only require a partial subsidy while others have their
tuition covered in full. These students often come to school
without the required school supplies and, therefore, can't keep up with
their peers.
Throughout the year, KKiS solicits and manages donations of age appropriate English language books, backpacks, paper, pencils, pens and other school supplies to be distributed to underprivileged students. Funds are raised to provide uniforms and necessary classroom equipment and materials.
This school teaches English to all students for
half of the day, a skill that is essential for later job placement and
advancement. The school administrators have welcomed KKiS
volunteers into their
classrooms to help students learn English by reading to them. In this fast changing and interconnected world students
need a bilingual education to understand and communicate global and local
societal needs and issues. This is
especially true in Playa del Carmen where an international community resides
and compensation for work depends in part on understanding multiple
languages. Every Wednesday, English speaking KKiS volunteers read to small groups of students, a visit that is enjoyed by the volunteers as much as the students!

I moved to Mexico with my family in 2004 with the hope of offering our children a more global education and world view. Since then, we have traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, gathering friends and life experiences and learning a lot about ourselves along the way. When we are not out and about exploring, Rob and I own and operate BuyPlaya, a Playa del Carmen real estate company and FurnitureMex. "Life's a Beach" is a catch-all blog where you may find anything from restaurant reviews, to recipes, gardening tips, commentary about expat daily life, local events, information about moving to Mexico and educating children in Playa del Carmen. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.