A diverse Lakeside audience filled the Concert on the Lawn event and responded generously to calls for donations throughout the afternoon
Lupita Jimenez entertains the sold-out crowd.
Patrick O’Heffernan Ajijic (JAL) The sold-out Wednesday afternoon concert starred Lupita Jimenez, Roy Cruz and SAGREY and featured awards, door prizes, opportunities to underwrite a Cruz Roja table at LCS, plus free-flowing alcohol and appetizers. But the real star was Cruz Roja.
Produced by LCS-Board Chair Steve Balfour – who celebrated his birthday at the concert – the event was classily designed with white tablecloth seating, waiters serving delicious appetizers and tequila and a program packed with talent and events. But the focus was on rebuilding Cruz Roja, financially hurt by the Covid crises that prevented its fundraising events, helping it build a badly-needed new facility to treat patients. The LCS concert kicked off a new fundraising campaign for Cruz Roja, netting $320,000 pesos.
Sponsors included Jose Cuervo, Semanario Laguna, Pancho’s Deli Market, and Ray Domenech of Casa Domenech and Angelica’s restaurant. The audience was both Mexican and Expat and the language from the stage was both English and Spanish so everyone felt at home.
The concert opened with Ajijic’s Mexican folkloric troupe performing traditional dances in colorful costumes as cameras clicked and whirred. Next, local Mexican singer Lupita Jimenez, a long-time friend and supporter of Cruz Roja, was introduced and let loose with classic Mexican songs and a few American Standards, and got the crowd singing with her – Expats and Mexicans together in Spanish.
As the applause died down, Yolanda Martinez, President of Cruz Roja Chapala, mounted the stage, almost dwarfed by the huge red cross podium. She thanked the packed crowd for their generosity and then welcomed the National Cruz Roja Vice President and translated his address. The architects for the new facility then walked the audience through the design process, and urged them to look at the plans for the new Cruz Roja medical facility arrayed around the Lawn on easels.
Freddie Mercury imitator Roy Cruz, put on a preview of his coming July 25 performance at LCS, singing Queen’s classics, moving around the crowd, urging them to join him in song and even welcoming a super Queen fan who had traveled here to see him. The local band SAGUEY, fronted by blues/jazz singer Barbara Saguey, kept the crowd dancing until well past closing time.
The music was broken up, however, with a door prize drawing for prime bottles of tequila, an opportunity for people to get together to pledge $40,000 pesos for a new LCS table for Cruz Roja (they did), and a birthday cake for LCS-Board Chair Steve Balfour.
The concert was a one-time event to launch Cruz Roja’s fundraising season, but the need to support Cruz Roja is ongoing. With a monthly budget of $300,000, Cruz Roja ‘s ambulances and food and health services serve everyone but are a lifeline to the poor in Lakeside because it charges no fees for its services, relying on donations for its operations and to build a fund to construct a new facility.
Donations of any amount can be made by dropping them off at Yoly’s Unisex Styling Salon, next to El Torito market in Ajijic or at the Cruz Roja Chapala headquarters in Chapala next to Christina Park.
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