Stories

A Heartfelt ❤️Connection at the One Rotary Cancun Summit

At this week’s One Rotary Cancun Summit, Lynn Behrendt-Luchs, Seaside Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen President, met Luisana Villamizar in person for the first time.

Una conexión sincera en la Cumbre One Rotary Cancún

EcoCentro is the solar power company making it possible for Seaside Rotary to bring the sun back for the schoolchildren of Torres de la Paz.

El Club Rotario Seaside de Playa del Carmen contó con un orador fascinante en su reunión del 15 de septiembre, celebrada en La Vagabunda, calle 38: Roger Sherman, de EcoCentro.

In August, Kristal Brown of the Alpharetta Rotary Club of Georgia reached out to Seaside Rotary requesting a short video introducing our club, our president and our projects.  

Today, Seaside Rotary celebrated 14 years of serving the children and families of Playa del Carmen! 

Over those 14 years, the little Rotary Club that could, did!  And did was a lot - 

Today, Seaside Rotarians  - Dr. Vicky Moro Flores Sr, Susana Hawley and Valerie Salem - assisted the KKIS (Keep Kids in School) volunteers in delivering 800+ school supply backpacks and additional school supplies to the children attending the Cristo Rey school in the Playa del Carmen area.  

It is with deep sadness that the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside announces the passing of John Robert Klug, Jr., an Honorary Member of the club.

Seaside Rotary’s 10th Annual Riviera Maya Chili Cook-Off delivered exactly what we’ve all come to expect — big flavors, friendly rivalry, and an afternoon full of laughter at Restaurant Latitude 20° +/- in Puerto Aventuras.

On Sunday afternoon, The Admiral Sports Bar in Playa del Carmen transformed into a red-carpet runway for the Valentine’s Day “Yappy Hour” Dog Parade & Costume Contest, a joint fundraiser hosted by the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside and Playa Animal Rescue (PAR).

On Sunday afternoon, The Admiral Sports Bar in Playa del Carmen transformed into a red-carpet runway for the Valentine’s Day “Yappy Hour” Dog Parade & Costume Contest, a joint fundraiser hosted by the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside and Playa Animal Rescue (PAR).

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside is proud to have been selected as the beneficiary organization for the inaugural Paamul Art Show & Sale, a new cultural event that exceeded expectations and demonstrated the power of community collaboration, creativity, and generosity.

If you’ve been looking for some beautiful and original art for your home here on the Riviera Maya or to bring home as a gift or souvenir from your travels, don’t miss the first Paamul Art Show being held Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14.

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside hosted its 4th Annual “Yappy Hour” Dog Parade and Costume Contest on Sunday, October 26, transforming Central Park Plaza in Puerto Aventuras into a lively celebration of creativity, community, and canine charm.

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside hosted its 4th Annual “Yappy Hour” Dog Parade and Costume Contest on Sunday, October 26, transforming Central Park Plaza in Puerto Aventuras into a lively celebration of creativity, community, and canine charm.

This is Part 2 - Images.  See Part 1 for Information about the Day and Sponsors.

Each year on April 30, Mexico celebrates Día del Niño (Children’s Day)—a holiday dedicated to the joy, well-being, and rights of children. This year, members of the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside marked the occasion with two heartfelt outreach missions, spreading cheer to children in both the village of El Cuyo, Yucatán and the General Hospital in Playa del Carmen.

Recently, Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside helped Global Dental Relief (GDR) bring smiles—and vital dental care—to underserved children in our community. From a temporary clinic set up in Akumal GDR’s volunteer team of dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and general volunteers provided free treatment and preventative care to local children and parents, many of whom were receiving professional dental attention for the very first time.

On El Día del Niño, celebrated in Mexico on April 30th, a group of Seaside Rotarians will be making a trip to El Cuyo to bring a delivery of arts and crafts supplies to the children of the village. Would you like to
help? Donations of all kinds of supplies will be collected at La Vagabunda 38 in Playa del Carmen, Colegio Puerto Aventuras and at Restaurant Latitude 20°.

The highly anticipated 9th Annual Riviera Maya Chili Cook-Off brought the heat once again at Restaurant Latitude 20° +/-, marking the eighth consecutive year at this beloved local venue. 

For many children in the Yucatán Peninsula, access to dental care is limited, with some receiving their first-ever treatment only when volunteers step in. This April, Global Dental Relief (GDR) is returning to Akumal with a dedicated team of dental professionals and volunteers to provide free, critical dental care to local school children.

Seaside Rotarian Judy Walburn is a force of nature! No matter where she is…back in her hometown in Pennsylvania or here in her second “home” at the Royal Haciendas in Playa del Carmen…Judy is a magnet for good will and generosity. This week was certainly no exception.

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside held its 3rd Annual “Yappy Hour” Dog Parade and Costume Contest on Sunday, October 30 at the Central Park Plaza in Puerto Aventuras. The judges’ results are in. The event was a tail-wagging good time and a rousing success, with dozens of people and their canine companions coming to participate in the contest, vote for their favorite “Top Yapper,” or just watch and enjoy the show!

Support Needed for an Essential Feeding Program in Playa del Carmen Seaside Rotary’s feeding program, Feeding the Future, was initiated in 2017 in the Torres de la Paz, a village just outside Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

If you live in Playa del Carmen you may have seen Judy Walburn wearing her colorful shirt as she collects donations of children’s sneakers or you may have seen her in Los Tres Hermanos buying more than 100 pairs of children’s shoes at a time.

Clean water is a fundamental necessity for human health and development, yet millions of people around the world still lack reliable access to this basic resource. For this reason, Clean Water and Sanitation is one of Rotary’s 7 Areas of Focus.  

Former Seward resident, now of Playa del Carmen Seaside Rotary Club of Mexico, visited the Seward Rotary Club on May 8. 

Every Saturday, La Vagabunda hosts an event known as the “Pink Brunch”. It is so named in honor of the cause it supports, breast cancer treatment and awareness. A portion of the proceeds from every “Pink Brunch” goes to support breast cancer charities and awareness projects in the region. 

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside’s 8th annual Riviera Maya Cook-Off was an overwhelming success! The competition was fierce this year and the numbers were very close but, in the end, three chili chefs came out on top!

The Fundraising Committee for Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside held a bazaar and clothing swap to raise much-needed funds for “Feeding the Future”, our ongoing nutritional support program for the children in Torres de la Paz in Playa del Carmen. 

This Holiday Season give someone the gift of clearer vision by donating all of your old, unwanted prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses to the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside. Collection boxes will be available at Restaurant Latitude 20° in Puerto Aventuras. Other collection locations will be announced soon. 

Every year, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside partner up with KKIS (Keeping Kids in School) to distribute school supplies to students in local schools. This year was no exception and this week, we convened at the KKIS offices to pack 152 bags with school supplies which we will distribute to the children at Cristo Rey Secundaria at the end of August.

On Thursday June 8, the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside sent 88 children to a bi-annual dental clinic offered by Global Dental Relief. 

With support from some very generous friends back in the Unites States, Seaside Rotarian Judy Walburn was able to gather enough funds to purchase 400 pairs of brand new sneakers in support of the club´s Kicks4Kids program. Kicks4Kids, an ongoing sneaker drive, became a Seaside Rotary program in 2014. 

Recently, members of the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside were enlisted to help sand and paint several dozen pieces of furniture for a school in the Cristo Rey neighborhood. There were picnic tables and benches, chairs and bookshelves, all things a school needs to make a cheerful and productive learning space for its students.

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside´s 7th annual Riviera Maya Cook-Off was a resounding success!

The rain didn’t dampen any spirits at Seaside Rotary’s Puerto Aventuras Scavenger Hunt! Eight teams battled it out against the clock and each other’s wits to win great prizes donated by local businesses. 

Seaside Rotary’s 1st ‘Yappy Hour’ Pet Parade a Huge Hit! 31 October 2022 – The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside held its 1st Annual “Yappy Hour” Dog Parade and Costume Contest on Sunday, October 30 and the results from the judges are in. 

May 8, 2020 Today, we made a secondary despensa delivery to a group of Puerto Aventuras fishermen and marine workers currently without any income or support. These food baskets are filled with essential items such as rice, beans, cooking, oil, sugar, pasta and other basic shelf-stable items. 

Seaside Rotarians have been hard at work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making sure that help is being given to those who need it the most! In less than 2 weeks Seaside Rotary, working with donors and community ambassadors, has accomplished so much! 

The 2020 edition of Seaside Rotary’s Riviera Maya Chili Cook-Off is in the books and it was by far the best year yet! The amount of effort, enthusiasm and talent our 2020 Chefs exhibited was unprecedented!  

A special meal plus a fun piñata party provided a festive day for kids and families that benefit all year from the Seaside Rotary-sponsored feeding program at El Hongo Restaurant and Community Center.

This week at our regular Tuesday lunch meeting at Boston’s Pizza, guest speaker Fred Devos from Friends of Puerto Aventuras (FOPA) received a grant in the amount of 25,000 pesos from the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside.

This week, the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside and the Rotary Club of Tulum will be teaming up to support the Hepatitis Zero World Eradication Project taking place all across Mexico and the Americas. The tests will be carried out by state and municipal health officials with the support of Rotary volunteers beginning July 22. 

A group of Canadian doctors and their families took time out of their relaxing vacation schedule to visit with a group of families living in the ejido in Playa del Carmen. They distributed new shoes for everyone and performed some physical evaluations for children who were in need of medical attention. 

Making a Splash- Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside, Mexico

Article in The Rotarian July 2019 Edition
By Frank Bures

In 2012, three retired Americans met for a drink in a bar in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. All three had been members of Rotary clubs in the United States before moving to this low-key beach town on the Yucatan Peninsula, an hour south of Cancun. Like many people from the United States and Canada, they had spent time here on vacation — coming for the world-class diving, the fishing, the golf, the Mayan ruins. Eventually, each of them decided to move here permanently. 

Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside hosts 7th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Seaside Rotary's 3rd Annual Cook-off a huge success!

On Saturday, February 9^th the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside presented the 3^rd Annual Riviera Maya Cook-Off hosted by Restaurant Latitude 20 in Puerto Aventuras. This year, 10 local chili chefs and chef teams vied for the title “Best Chili on the Riviera Maya”. 

Over the past 2 weeks, in a collaborative effort, the Rotary Clubs of Tulum, Playa del Carmen Seaside and Playa del Carmen Empresarial joined forces with local volunteers and community advocates to send relief to the victims of the flooding that recently devastated parts of the Mayan zone, just 2 hours south of Playa del Carmen.

Last week our club had the pleasure of visiting the community school ‘Contando Con Un Amigo’ in the small colonia of Torres de la Paz. This is the school where we have piloted our feeding program initiative where we provide healthy meals to 80-90 students. 

Today, our club had the great pleasure of introducing our good friend (“Padrino” of Seaside Rotary) and District Governor Julio Perez Tovar to Martha Honorina Herrera and her wonderful students and teachers at the community school in the colonia of Torres de la Paz. 

2018 Seaside Rotary Golf Classic to be helf next month

The 2nd Annual Seaside Rotary Chili Cook-Off was a roaring success!! 10 contestants with ten amazing chilis, nice breezy weather, a lovely setting and plenty of icy beverages to wash it all down, makes for a memorable event! 

Rotary International has a long history of providing swift, effective disaster relief worldwide. Working on the ground through their global network, Rotary channels resources directly to the areas in need, aiding in recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

Dr. Stan Grogg’s ‘Power of a Nickel’ doctors and dentists contribute their time and treasure to serve hope and healthcare to underserved communities around the globe.

June 26, 2017 This weekend, the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside hosted the Installation Dinner and Ceremony for officers and directors for the 2017-2018 Rotary year. Kit Wong (Assistant DG 2016-2017 and Secretary to the DG 2017-2018) was our honored guest.  

1st Annual Seaside Rotary Chili Cook-Off draws hungry crowd!

The 1st annual Seaside Rotary Cook-Off is in the books and we have a winner! Taking home the title “The Best Chili in Playa del Carmen 2017” are Greg Cosway and his wife Tammy. Greg and Tammy are originally from Toronto and have been visiting the Riviera Maya since 1994. 

Seaside Rotary Golf Classic secures Title Sponsor

Seaside Rotary Golf Classic announced for April 1, 2017

Playa del Carmen's Seaside Rotary Club hosts successful 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

2016 Seaside Rotary Golf Classic to take place at Hard Rock Golf Club in Playacar

With the coordinated efforts of Seaside Rotary’s Playa del Carmen RC and Rotaract, Kicks4Kids brought almost 300 pairs of new sneakers to the children living in the remote village of Nuevo Noh Bec. It was a long and at times emotional day but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the big smiles on all those little faces.

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside is delighted to once again be invited to the Cancun Challenge Basketball Tournament hosted by Hard Rock Riviera Maya!

Red Cross Hospital in Playa gets aid from Rotary

Seaside Rotary Club's golf tourney a success.

New Hard Rock Golf Club Riviera Maya in Playacar welcomes charity golf tournament.

Playa del Carmen Rotary Club hosts 2nd annual charity golf tournament.

The Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside, with a network of Rotary partners in the United States, has an opportunity to arrange for a shipping container load of medical equipment and supplies, with an estimated value in excess of $400,000 US Dollars, to be donated and shipped to the new Red Cross Hospital in Playa del Carmen.

On October 26, the Rotary Club Playa del Carmen Seaside hosted its 1st annual Seaside Rotary Golf Classic at the beautiful and challenging Grand Coral Golf Club in Playa del Carmen. 

Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside to host 1st Annual Charity Golf Tournament.