Cayo Scoop! The Ecology of Cayo Culture

The Rotary Club has teamed up with Vantage, and the SIPL and SEPL to bring Small Business Skills Workshops to Cayo. They'll be held on the 6th and 13th of October. Call 615-5853 for more information. Great to see this effort to help those in the community.

The Rotary Club of San Ignacio is bringing back their Bingo Sunday fundraisers. This Sunday the 29th will be the first. Win big, have some fun, and help a great cause at the same time.

'Calling on the people of Cayo to join us at Hode's Place to kick off our Bingo fundraisers. Winners receive 50% of the take from each game. The Jackpot game starts at $500! Proceeds go to our many community projects. Come join in the fun at 6 pm Sunday. Please share. Go Rotary!'

The Rotary Club of San Ignacio is having their first ever Easter Egg Hunt this Friday at Rotary Park in Santa Elena.  Fun for the entire family, and it starts at 2pm. 

"Mark your calendars this Friday April 8th at 2 pm. Join our easter egg hunt at the Rotary Park in Santa Elena."

Rotary is having a river cleanup this Saturday for World Environment Day.  It'll be at the Wooden bridge, and it starts at 6am.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPnyZ0KjB1y/

"The Rotary Club of San Ignacio is having a River Clean up on Saturday June 5th 2021, for World Environment Day. Our cleanup will start at 6am at the Wooden Bridge on the Santa Elena side. The area to be cleaned will be from the wooden bridge to the Hawkesworth Bridge. We are inviting the community to come out and help us. Bring gloves, garbage bags, and hand sanitizer. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing."

Feelgood news of the day.  The Rotary Club of San Ignacio had the ceremony for this year's recipients of the Rafael Cal Memorial High School Scholarship.  Six students received scholarships to go to local high schools.  Thanks, Rotary!  

"Each September we welcome six new students into our Rafael Cal Memorial High School Scholarship program. Congratulations, Javeed Romero, Shamira Hernandez, Nathaniel Gonzalez, Keian White, Carly Galvez and Jossiah Lucas! They were selected from the primary schools in San Ignacio and Santa Elena and are now enrolled in Sacred Heart College, Eden SDA High School, and St. Ignatius High School. 57 students have graduated through this program."

Rotary has cause to celebrate: There is a new club in Benque, and the SHC Interact Club was officially launched.  Rotary clubs are known for their community service projects, of which they've had more projects in Belize than one can count.  They're already planning more.  Congratulations, Rotary!

"It was a big day for Rotary in western Belize yesterday and our Club as a sponsor. The Interact Club of Sacred Heart College was officially launched with 24 members in a lovely pinning ceremony and refreshments. Thank you Office Gurus for the donation of the pins!

Last evening in Benque, a group of dedicated community activists started a Rotary Satellite Club with 10 members! Astrid Salazar is the Chair, Carmen Sosa is Chair Elect, Emilza Vaca is Secretary and Juan Pablo Ruiz is the Treasurer. Meetings are Friday nights at 8:30."

The Rotary Club of San Ignacio will be having the 17th annual Voice of the West Elocution Contest on Thursday, February 7th, at Hode's Place.

"This is an annual competition for the high school students in Cayo to show off their writing and speaking skills. Each high school can send three students, from any form, to compete in any of three categories."

Rotary had a great first Wine and Paint Night at the Cahal Pech Resort.

"A week ago our club hosted our very first Wine and Paint Night. It was a great success thanks to the wonderful Keion Griffith, his team, Priscilla Quiroz and our club members; we cannot thank you all enough!A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out and supported us and congratulations to the winners of the evening Keisha Garbutt and especially Debbie Alfaro, who won 'Best Art of the night.'"

Feelgood news of the day.  The Rotaract Club of San Ignacio had their annual Voice of the West Elocution Contest.  Congratulations to all the winners.  List of winners in the 3 categories.

"The 16th annual Voice of the West contest brought forth interesting and enlightening speeches from our local high school students. More photos and videos to come. Thanks to all the students, faculty, family and friends who supported the contestants."

Feelgood news of the day.  Congratulations, Alberto Barrera!  He received the Paulita Bedran Memorial Scholarship, and will get a free ride to Sacred Heart Junior College.  

"Our club, along with international donors and sponsors, support a scholarship program for students starting high school.  The Raphael Cal Memorial scholarship supports them through four years of studies and our Scholarship Committee members are their mentors.  We had seven students to celebrate last night and they are all graduating next weekend.  Five students are at Sacred Heart College and two students are at St. Ignatius High School.  The gift of two more years of school is given from by the Paulita Bedran Memorial Scholarship and is awarded to the graduating student with the highest grade point average over the four years.  That award went to Alberto Barrera.  He will be studying at Sacred Heart Junior College in the field of business.  The students read thank you letters to their sponsors and were very thankful for the support of their families and Rotary."

Congratulations to all the winners from The Rotary Club of San Ignacio's Voice of the West elocution contest!  Well done!

Sacred Heart College students Geon Codd and Beyonce Villafranco, along with Agatha Petchau from Belmopan Comprehensive all took 1st place in their category.

Feelgood education news of the week. Congratulations, Ms. Zelaya, on receiving the first Thom Moran Bachelor's Degree Scholarship. Thank you, Rotary, for all the scholarships you awards to the future leaders of Belize. Education is the key.

The Rotary Club is having a movie night next Saturday, August 6th, at Rotary park in Santa Elena. They'll be showing Encanto. The 1st showing is at 6:30 and the 2nd at 9pm.

"How wonderful, A park Movie night with our kids. Lets come and spend quality time with our children."

Rotary's 2022 Voice of the West will be Thursday, March 31st, at 7pm.  

'You are all invited to the grand premiere of #VoiceOfTheWest 2022 on March 31st, at 7pm. We will be premiering on TNC Channel and You Tube: Rotary Club of San Ignacio.
Watch high school students from San Ignacio, Benque and Belmopan compete in 3 categories:
Persuasive Speech
Original Poem
Published Poems and Excerpts
You don't want to miss it."

Rotary's 19th annual Voice of the West will be on Thursday, March 25th.  High school students from around Cayo will be elocuting. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLudVrWl5y2/ 

"This is our 19th annual Voice of the West competition for high schools students in the Cayo District. Students will compete in one of three categories and win cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place categories. The full event will air on March 25."

Feelgood news of the day.  This year, there were 2 winners of the Paulita Bedran Memorial Scholarship.  Congratulations, Ms. Ciau and Ms. Landero!  Thanks, Rotary, for sending students through high school with your Raphael Cal Memorial Scholarship. 

"We celebrated our Raphael Cal Memorial high school scholars graduating this year last night. They had received a scholarship for 4 years of high school. The student with the best GPA is awarded the Paulita Bedran Memorial Tertiary Scholarship sponsored by our club. Two students, Joeannie Ciau and Alliyah Landero, were awarded this prestigious scholarship as their GPAs were almost even!! Congratulations to all of our graduates, Jessica Ack, Shanene Perez, Shayna Savala."

The Cayo Rotary club is having their Moonlight, Music, and Maya fundraiser at Cahal Pech!  Saturday, March 16th, starting at 8:00pm.  The event will have food, music, and dancing.  Have a wonderully unique time while supporting a local community service project. 

"The Rotary Club of San Ignacio is sponsoring a fundraiser for our local service projects with a night at Cahal Pech, the Maya Archaeological Reserve, in San Ignacio.  Dinner and dancing will be accompanied by a variety of musical entertainment and the moon at this amazing Maya site.  Tickets are $100 and available from Rotarians and local stores."

Feelgood news of the day.  The Rotary Club of San Ignacio had the inauguration of their latest bathroom project.  This one at Faith Nazarene is the 14th.  Thanks, Rotary! 

"The faculty and students of Faith Nazarene Primary School in San Ignacio celebrated the handing over of the new toilet building, built with funds and efforts from Canadian, US and the San Ignacio Rotary Club. The Rotary Club of Athabasca, Rotary Club of St. Albert, Rotary Club of Fairbanks, Rotary Club of Russian Jack Anchorage, and District 7930 funded this through a global grant with the Rotary Foundation. This new facility will positively effect student health and absences due to illness. The San Ignacio club has built 14 toilet buildings at schools around Cayo, impacting the health of over 7500 students."

Feelgood news of the day.  The Rotary Club of San Ignacio handed over the finished bathroom at Succotz RC Primary School this week.  Thanks, Rotary!

"More photos from the handing over ceremony in Succotz for the toilet block at the RC school. This was a great community and international effort. Thank you, Rotary!"

The Rotary Club of San Ignacio is having their Masquerade Ball fundraiser on Saturday, October 28th, at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel.

"This is going to be an amazing night with dancing, great diner, Music review by Motown Memories and Omolewa Osain Band. Top that off with both a silent auction and a live auction of vacations to die for! This will be a sold out event!. Call 667-7555 for tickets!"

Feelgood news of the day.  The Rotary Club of San Ignacio had the inauguration of the new bathrooms at Mount Carmel primary school this week.  Thanks, Rotary, for all the bathrooms you've built, and are planning on building for the local schools. 

"Mt. Carmel RC Primary School in Benque Viejo received the keys to their new toilet building provided by an international Rotary project today at a joyful handing over ceremony. The Rotary Club of Greater Bend, Oregon and the Rotary Club of San Ignacio, along with the Rotary Foundation and Rotary Districts funded this construction for a project focused and clean water and sanitation, and basic health and hygiene education. The project was funded for $78,000 BZ ($36,000 US) and serves the Standard 4 - 6 (upper division) student population of about 300. The previous building was 54 years old and in great need of replacing. New toilet facilities like this have been built through our club's efforts in 11 other schools in Cayo. Student attendance and health measurably increase when toilet systems are updated on a school campus and hygiene education is emphasized."

Feelgood news of the day.  The Rotary Club of San Ignacio donated 18 wheelchairs to the Rotary neighbors next door. 

"Our club has a longstanding wheelchair program working with clubs in the US. John Acott has led the donation efforts for many years. 18 chairs were donated to the Tikal Peten Rotary Club in Flores. The handover took place between the two border posts. 9 of the wheelchairs will be distributed in the Flores/Santa Elena area and the other 9 in Sayaxché, which is a town about 1 ½ hours south of Flores. It is an interesting place as you cross a large river on a huge car and truck ferry, powered by a tiny outboard motor at one corner."