August 2022

Dear Friends of Liga MAC

Words no one wants to hear: “Summer is nearly over!” As the summer season winds down, students and teachers contemplate the start of a new school, while our Liga MAC staff continue preparing for student support program registration, orientation, school tuition payments, and uniform voucher disbursal. Classes will begin districtwide in person, for the first time in two years, on August 29 for junior high school (secundaria) students, August 22 for high school (preparatoria) students, and August 29 for university (universidad) students.

In recent months we have highlighted some major donations to one-time fundraising drives and some significant community involvement benefitting individual students. Also significant but flying under the radar are many community sponsors who contribute to Liga MAC on an ongoing basis. Our profile this month is of a local business that has been quietly benefitting Liga MAC and other charitable local organizations for many years.

During the 2021/2022 school year, pandemic learning meant that adaptations to our regular programs were required. We will review one of our outsourced adapted programs from the perspective of the facilitators. This fall should see a return to near normal pre-pandemic activities in Los Cabos and we are happy to share information about several upcoming Liga MAC fundraising events. Dr. Deneb Poli will give us a cautiously optimistic glimpse of the Los Cabos health scene in her Doctor’s Corner column.

Community Sponsor:

Back to the Rack

In 2008, ex-pat Canadian Muriel Olsen and her business partner, Angie Lehmann had an idea to fill a gap in the city clothing market, provide local employment, give back to their community and hopefully make a living for themselves. The pair started a consignment store that they named “Back to the Rack”. The store which outgrew its original location many years ago will be celebrating its 15th anniversary in January and boasts 12 employees in addition to Muriel and Angie.

The relationship between Liga MAC and Back to the Rack will also be celebrating its 15th anniversary and is genuinely a win-win. Liga MAC’s Donation Centre/Bookstore in Colonia Chamizal receives all types of donations which are filtered by the volunteer staff. 

Better quality clothing items are sent to Back to the Rack where they will garner a better price than the 5 pesos most items sell for at the Liga MAC centre. In addition, some Back to the Rack consignors designate their proceeds to Liga MAC or one of the other 4 Back to the Rack supported charities. 

The proceed split to normal consignors is 40% but in the case of the 5 charities 60% of the sale price winds up in the charity’s coffers. Further, once consignment items have run their course in the store, several carloads of unsold items a week are sent to Liga MAC’s Donation Centre for sale at much reduced prices.  

Back to the Rack also provides free clothing to those in need who are looking for work or who have lost their belongings in natural disasters. After Hurricane Odile in 2014, Back to the Rack teamed up with Liga MAC to supply high school graduates with grad gowns and has, for over 10 years, sponsored a fundraising fashion show for another local charity, Ayudando a Mama. As an indication of the income generated for Liga MAC by Back to the Rack, just in the past 18 months, the store has generated over $5,500 USD for Liga MAC’s programs.

The success of Back to the Rack is due, as Muriel notes, to the fact that anyone can afford to shop at the store thanks to prices ranging from 160 to 180 pesos. There is also a wide variety of goods which arrive in Los Cabos in the suitcases of visitors from all over the world. The store becomes the repository for holiday wear, some of it designer, that owners decide not to repatriate. 

As a result, Muriel and her staff have seen some pretty unusual and high end apparel including one consignment item that left them “All Shook Up”: a professional Elvis impersonator suit! 

In the words of the King, Back to the Rack: we “Can’t Help Falling in Love” with “The Wonder of You”!

Program Review: Spanish and Mathematics Tutoring

Recognizing that learning loss would be the fallout from school shutdowns and remote learning, Liga MAC decided to proactively engage professional tutors in the subjects of Spanish and Math for our educational support students. The tutoring program began in May 2022 and was conducted in 8 week intervals to accommodate 10 groups of Grade 8 and 9 students. 

Liga MAC worked together with the teaching staff from Centro Pedgógico del Valle led by Directora General, Griselda Pérez del Valle. In her yearend report, Sra. del Valle noted that the evaluation exercise given to each student at the commencement of the program indicated that 90% of the students were unable to correctly answer 50% of the evaluation questions. The remaining 10% of students scored only marginally better. 

Unable to tackle the entire course curriculum, the teachers concentrated on “the greatest amount of learning expected from the grade” with emphasis on the basic skills of reading, writing, and spelling. Math concepts were dealt with on an individual basis with students sharing their math problems and teachers discussing the underlying math concepts. 

The Directora summarized that, “overall the students were provided with tools that will be very useful in the rest of their academic lives as well as in their work and social lives.”

One of the teaching staff quoted in the report, Lic. Gabriela Sotres Orbezo, noted that although students started the program very timidly, lacking basic skills, they left with more confidence and better comprehension in the area of reading.

 Coming Events

For the golfers in the crowd, please make a note that the 13th Annual Knick Nac Golf Tournament at Querencia Private Golf will return on Thursday, November 17, 2022. A crowd pleaser, the event features an 18 hole team scramble format, dinner, silent auction (with rounds of golf at many hard to access courses), and heaps of fun! 

For more information please contact Linda Myers at lindalgklas@aol.com. 

The much awaited Tequila & Tacos event at Habanero’s Gastro Grill will take place on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. 

There will be “all you can eat tacos” plus tequila tasting plus live music and dancing. 

Come for the food, stay for the fun, and help support Liga MAC. 

As we approach the event, we will provide ticket information so stay tuned…

Learning Centre Update

Plans are now complete and have been approved by the Building Committee and the Board of Directors. Since May, a local contractor and architect has been working with Liga MAC staff to fine tune our needs for the Centre and develop detailed drawings. The plan is for construction to move forward this fall with construction completion in 12 months. 

Doctor’s Corner

By Dr. Deneb Poli

August has begun and we are well into a very hot summer. Along with the heat come storms and mosquitos! Los Cabos is an area where Dengue Fever (also known as Breakbone Fever) is endemic. 

Mosquitoes transmit this virus that causes high fevers, bone pain, headache (especially behind the eyes) and on occasion stomach symptoms like nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Please take precautions not only to be prepared for the storm season with additional water, canned foods, batteries, candles and lamps but also with mosquito repellent.

COVID 19 incidence rate has slowly been creeping up again over the last 3 weeks, with an increase in cases and with roughly 60% positivity in testing. Thankfully almost all cases have been mild with low grade fevers, sore throat, headache, and in some cases diarrhea. Restaurants continue at 70% capacity and can close at 3 am and masks continue to be mandatory in closed spaces. 

There are currently over 450 active cases in Los Cabos all with reportedly mild symptoms. Vaccination continues to move forward and are readily available at health clinics and also with age specific campaigns on a larger scale at designated locations in both Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. 

We have had the first reports of monkeypox in Los Cabos and thankfully the cases were isolated quickly and effectively. As international travel continues, it was inevitable that at some point we would have the introduction of the virus into our municipality. Thankfully in most cases, the symptoms of monkeypox go away on their own within a few weeks. 

Symptoms include: fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. This is followed by or accompanied by the development of a rash which can last for two to three weeks. As we see how the virus affects us locally we will be able to determine what health safety measures may need to be put in place moving forward to mitigate the propagation of the virus. 

Closing Remarks

Who doesn’t recall the excitement of returning to class after two months of sun and fun with its incumbent trip to the store for new clothes, shoes and school supplies. The smell of new books, pencils, erasers and paper clogging our senses and helping to build the anticipation. 

Liga MAC’s students will share that same anticipation thanks to the contributions of our community sponsors like Back to the Rack and our many volunteers and donors. But more than shiny new things, our students look forward to the opportunity for learning that many others take for granted. 

With your help Liga MAC is continuing to help change lives through education!

Looking forward to a new school year!

Sincerely,

Maria Lindenberg, President

Liga MAC Board of Directors

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September 2022

Dear Friends of Liga MAC

Now that the new school year has commenced, Liga MAC and our students are gearing up for a busy season. Several programs have already begun and others are in the planning stages. One of the purposes of Liga MAC’s extra-curricular programs, is to prepare our students for the hard work needed to succeed in high school. 

Our profile this month is of a student who while chaperoning her younger sister to Liga MAC’s math and Spanish tutoring program, realized that Liga MAC’s programs might help her to attain her goals. 

In other news, we have an exciting link to share this month pertaining to our 2022 graduation class and we are pleased to share progress made for our new Liga MAC Learning Centre! 

Dr. Deneb will enlighten us as to the health of the region and what precautions to take to keep ourselves safe.

Student Profile: 

Paola Hernandez

Paola Hernandez is the oldest of 4 siblings. Her position as eldest is an important fact that has manifested itself already in her short life. About 4 years ago, Paola’s sister was admitted to Liga MAC’s student support program and more recently our Spanish and Math Tutoring program. 

The volunteer facilitated tutoring program was held at our Centro de Apoyo; and Paola who accompanied her younger sister to the Centro, waited for her on the Centro’s patio beside an open window where she could clearly hear the progress made from the tutoring classes. 

Waiting and listening, she was inspired to do something for herself and asked the instructor if she could join the class although she was not in the student support program. The facilitator decided she could attend.

When Paola was 12, her mother left Paola’s abusive alcoholic father. Even at the tender age of 12, Paola supported her mother’s decision and saw as her duty the care of her siblings. While Paola’s mother cleaned construction sites, Paola was the surrogate mother to her 2 brothers and one sister. Her parents’ divorce adversely affected her sister, but in Paola’s case made her more focused. 

She was admitted to Liga MAC’s student support program in Grade 10 and found that the tutoring classes plus diligent hard work helped keep her grades up even with the added responsibilities at home.

The industrious young woman also found employment to help out the family. Receiving assistance from Liga MAC with uniforms and tuition eased the financial burden and Paola found that “every (Liga MAC) seminar taught (her) something”.

Although life has had its challenges, Paola works hard and recently graduated from high school. Her goal to obtain a degree in accounting from the university at ITES is being supported through Liga MAC because of her tenacity, focus and drive to improve. 

The responsibility Paola took on to help her family has made her mature beyond her years but it has also pushed her to succeed. As noted by Liga MAC’s Executive Director, Elva Haro, “ella tiene los pies en la tierra (She has her feet on the ground)!”

Liga MAC Programs

Two of Liga MAC’s student programs have had an even earlier start this school year due to scheduling issues. Starting August 13 Liga MAC’s Alas and Aguilas programs will continue for 6 Saturday mornings until the end of September. For the first time the sex education and self awareness programs will be co-ed. This fall cohort includes 22 Grade 10 students while another 27 students are scheduled for the spring 2023 cohort.

The “Agents of Change”/Leadership and Community Involvement program held jointly with the Boys and Girls club started on August 18 and will continue on Thursday afternoons throughout the school year. Thirty-two Liga MAC Grade 8 students are involved in the program.

Liga MAC

Student Yearbook 2022

With a desire to not only acknowledge but to celebrate the achievements of the 2022 graduating class, Liga MAC staff have prepared an online yearbook in English and Spanish. The 2022 grad class was able to overcome two years of pandemic learning to achieve their goals. To view this exceptional group of young people and read about their aspirations, please click on the link.

Link to Yearbook 

Volunteer Activities

Our wonderful Liga MAC volunteers are gearing up for another season of community outreach, student mentoring, ESL classes and fundraising. Our Donation Centre will reopen its doors and our presence at local markets will begin in November.

ESL teams will begin to plan in the fall for the 2023 ESL classes … is in person classrooms a possibility after 2 years of virtual learning? Our ESL volunteers will put safety first and determine our classroom approach as we prepare for class. 

Don’t forget to register for the Knick Nac Golf Tournament at Querencia Private Golf Course. Tickets go quickly for this opportunity to play the spectacular Tom Fazio designed course and enjoy an amazing dinner while supporting a great cause. The event will be held November 17. For more information, contact Linda Myers at lindalgklas@aol.com

We started our 25th Anniversary celebrations with an elegant Gala at Querencia and will sunset this milestone year with a bang — join us for a Tacos, Tostadas & Tequila Party on November 29. Stay tuned for details

Liga MAC Learning Centre

We are ready to move forward! The Building Committee and Board of Directors have approved the final drawings and project cost estimates. An architect/builder has been selected and plans have been submitted to the municipality for permit approval. As we begin construction, we will approach local companies to participate through in-kind service donations wherever possible (if you have any recommendations, please contact Elva at  info@ligamac.org

 Doctor’s Corner

by Dr. Deneb Poli

September is now here and the heat is more intense than ever. We are facing a hurricane at the moment and all eyes are on the weather as we wait to see what will happen in the following hours and how it will impact BCS. Do not forget to be prepared with additional drinking water, canned foods, batteries, candles, lamps and ice as well as having a basic first aid kit and any medication that you may need. Filling your car’s gas tank, withdrawing and having some cash on hand, as well as filling up your propane tank at home and making sure you have your tinaco or water cistern full is also a good idea. 

The heat has brought with it an onslaught of diarrheal disease thanks to poor management of foods, lack of appropriate refrigeration and the ever-present cloud of dust that comes with a long, dry, hot summer. Please avoid consumption of raw seafood and shellfish as during the rainy season we see overflow of sewage systems and flooding of the oceans and local waters. This affects the local sea life and the food that we eat from local oceans can be contaminated with Hepatitis A, Cholera, Salmonella and other pathogens. 

COVID 19 cases have decreased drastically over the last month with all cases reported lately being mild. There are currently no hospitalized patients due to COVID 19. Mask use is still mandatory indoors and in enclosed spaces or spaces where safe distancing can not be maintained. Children are heading back to school this week with facemasks. A second dose of vaccination was offered for children over the last month and vaccines for older age groups are still available at health clinics.

Luckily despite the initial report of monkeypox in Los Cabos, there was no further transmission of the virus and no new cases have been reported.

Parting Comments

With a new school year beginning, Liga MAC programs in place, our volunteers restarting their pre-pandemic activities, and plans for our new Learning Centre moving ahead — it is an exciting time for Liga MAC. We are organized, tenacious and laser focused to help our students attain their goals. 

We are supremely thankful for our committed donors, volunteers and staff who are at the essence of what Liga MAC does and stands for. AND we are immensely proud of all our students who make it all worthwhile! 

With admiration and appreciation,

Maria Lindenberg, President

Liga MAC Board of Directors

Fundraising aside, the work of Liga MAC goes on. Here is a short rundown of the programs currently in session or just concluded:

English as a Second Language – The 10 week program which concluded at the end of March, saw 39 students meet remotely for 90 minutes every Saturday morning. The ESL program which is facilitated by Liga MAC ex-pat volunteers, has been a popular student support program since its inception in 2006. The pandemic strengthened the bond between students and facilitators as each was invited into the other’s home via Zoom. Both students and facilitators find the interactions enriching.

Spanish and Math Tutoring – Another program reinforced by the pandemic, Spanish and Math Tutoring was ramped up in 2021 when Liga MAC’s staff realized that Student Support Program students were falling behind as a result of remote learning. The 108 Grade 10, 11, and 12 students enrolled in the tutoring program meet in small groups once a week for 2 hours of instruction. The program has been so well received that following Easter break, a 4 week “express” course is planned for Grade 9 students to prepare them for entering high school. 

Self-Esteem and Social Skills – This 12 week program conducted by Liga MAC staff is directed at Grade 7 students and is designed to help them negotiate the sometimes difficult transition into junior and high school. Students are introduced to proper “rules of conduct”, learn to handle their emotions, and how to help increase their confidence. Current students report that the class gives them a safe place to express their opinions and share fears without criticism or judgement.

As we have reported in past updates, due to the realities of pandemic learning, Liga MAC’s Board of Directors, made the game-changing decision to repurpose our existing Centro de Apoyo facility into a new Learning Centre.

Renderings for a new building were produced with the help of Querencia’s Architectural Design team and a Capital Campaign Committee was created to pursue funding. At a garden reception on March 16, Liga MAC’s Executive Director and several Board members approached a select group of donors and interested parties gathered at the invitation of Bonnie and Tom McCloskey, owners of Querencia Private Golf and Beach Club.

The evening came to a surprising and exciting climax when Liga MAC donors, Rick and Nicki Larson, moved by the aim of the project, pledged to fully fund it! Other donors stepped forward with pledges to cover Liga MAC’s operational costs. We are ecstatic that the Capital Campaign was launched and closed on the same evening!

What an incredible past two years we have had! No one ever expected that the world would be overtaken by a virus. Thankfully we can now start to feel a little more “normal” in the face of all that has happened.

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COVID-19’s dominance has taken a downturn and worldwide restrictions are slowly lifting. The situation in BCS and Los Cabos is no exception as the state government has raised the health level to “green”and we are slowly able to work our way back to normal. Masks are still mandatory and there is no news on when this mandate will be removed. The vaccination process continues and AstraZeneca will now be available at local public health clinics for first, second and booster dosing. Vaccine coverage is estimated at 86%.

The COVID 4th wave was a monster, with over 12,000 cases reported officially in Los Cabos but thanks to elevated vaccination rates, cases were mostly mild with a rare few needing hospitalization. Schools reopened on March 22nd, 2022 and children, with sanitary measures in place, are back in-person for their classes.

As we move into the warmer season we usually see an increase in cases of diarrhea. Be sure to wash and disinfect your vegetables, fruits and hands frequently. When purchasing drinking water make sure it is from a well known company or grocery store. If you are eating out make sure it is at a well established restaurant with proper food handling to avoid illness. Also, this is the season when we say “no” to seafood unless it is very fresh as transport with warm temperatures can be the perfect place for bad bacteria to grow. If symptoms exhibit, please approach your local medical care provider.

“Gala” aptly describes our Liga MAC 25th Anniversary celebration that was held on March 30 at Querencia’s spectacular outdoor venue overlooking San Jose bay. Gala-goers were welcomed on the pool terrace with canapés, cocktails and a Codigo 1530 Tequila tasting bar before moving to the lower level for the evening’s proceedings. The entire event was underwritten by Querencia and owners Bonnie and Tom McCloskey allowing 100% of ticket proceeds to be donated to Liga MAC.

Reflecting on Liga MAC’s 25 year history of serving the community of San Jose del Cabo, the Gala welcoming address touched on Liga MAC’s grassroots beginnings, growth and evolution to meet community needs, before sharing exciting plans for our future (see “Other Happenings” below).

The sold out crowd of over 200 guests was treated to a delicious chef-curated 4 course dinner prepared and served by Querencia’s wonderful staff while enjoying the stunning decor and beautiful table settings provided by Del Cabo Event Design. A champagne toast to Liga MAC’s future, fireworks and dancing to the music of Picasso Blvd, rounded out the evening.

But perhaps the highlight of the evening was the testimonial given by one of Liga MAC’s first high school graduates and present day Liga MAC Board of Directors member, Fernando Meza. While his mother, Carmen, and wife, Claudia, looked on proudly, Fernando shared his story:

Fernando, his mother (Carmen) and 2 younger brothers fled their remote home near La Paz and the boys’ abusive, alcoholic father. Arriving in San Jose without resources they found shelter with an older brother’s in-laws. Their story might have ended quite differently but for a referral to Liga MAC. 

Liga MAC volunteers visited the family with food and assessed the situation. To sustain her small family, Carmen prepared and sold meals to her neighbours. Fernando, the oldest of the 3 boys, was about to start Grade 7 but without money for uniforms it would be impossible for him to attend school. Fernando was qualified to enter Liga MAC’s fledgling student support program which provided uniforms, tuition, and backpacks as well as basic needs support for the family. 

Six years later in 2011, Fernando was in the first cohort of Liga MAC students to graduate from high school. A bright and hardworking student, Fernando wanted and indeed knew that he needed to go on with his education. Again Liga MAC stepped forward to provide a small cohort of exceptional students, including Fernando, with support for university. Fernando went on to study law, be accepted to the bar, and just recently receive his Masters in Criminal Law. Now married to a lawyer, Fernando and his wife Claudia have their own law firm in San Jose del Cabo.

Our amazing event was an incredible tribute to Liga MAC’s 25 year history and credit for its success goes to Co-chairs Leeann Leboeuf and Susan Cornelius and their hard working committee. With 25 years behind us, we look forward to the next 25 years of service to the community!

As we move forward into 2022 we have seen a major decrease in COVID-19 cases allowing Los Cabos to move into the green light on the local alert system.

OMICRON led to a spike in COVID cases beyond any other wave of cases before, tripling the third wave in mid 2021.

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Fortunately this did not translate into a significant increase in hospitalizations or fatalities as most cases were mild with cold and flu like symptoms.

Tourism is at its highest since the onset of COVID and we still require mask wearing, temperature checks and safe distancing in public spaces although bars, restaurants and other businesses that are non-essential are now allowed to operate at 80% capacity with essential services now able to operate at 100%. Currently there are 176 active cases that have been detected in Los Cabos by government health authorities.

Second dose vaccination has begun for those over 18 years of age. Online sign up is available for a third booster vaccination although the date for this has not yet been established. If you require either of these please check Delegacion de Bienestar BCS on Facebook for updates, links and requirements.

Free testing continues to be available Monday to Friday at the Centro de Salud in front of Coppel on Manuel Doblado street. There are also free testing points in Cabo San Lucas. Testing is also readily available at most local laboratories and hospitals. Let’s all continue to stay safe and healthy.

Our Liga MAC volunteers have been busy organizing and facilitating Zoom “English As a Second Language” classes. Their smaller cohort than in pre-pandemic years of 39 students has been divided into 5 groups that meet remotely for 90 minutes every Saturday morning. The focus is conversational and confidence building.

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Another program that Liga MAC has ramped up as a direct result of the COVID pandemic, is the Spanish & Math Tutoring program. Two years with no direct teacher contact has resulted in most students falling behind in both subjects.

Liga MAC took a proactive approach by privately hiring teaching professionals to work with 108 high school students. The students meet with their tutors in small groups of 6 to 8 students once a week for 2 hours (1 hour of Spanish and 1 hour of Mathematics).

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Teachers are reporting that students are better able to understand math concepts when they can discuss them in person. Students are also improving their Spanish verbal and writing skills as a result of in-person Spanish classes. And not surprisingly, students are showing an improvement in their emotional well being after 7 weeks of in-person classes.

There are a few tickets left for Liga MAC’s 25th Anniversary Gala on March 30, 2022 at Querencia Private Golf and Beach Club but they are going fast! If you are interested in attending this sure to be spectacular event featuring cocktails, a chef curated plated dinner, live entertainment, and dancing under the stars please contact Elva at elva@ligamac.org or visit ligamac.org.

Our Taco & Tequila event at Habanero’s benefitting Liga MAC will now be held in November so watch this space for more information.