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 Los Bomberos to participate at the PGA Tour- Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen February 17th - 21st, 2010!
By Brian Borjesson
In Janaury I received a phone call from a Larson Segerdahl, Tournament Director of the Mayakoba Golf Classic; Mexico’s Only PGA TOUR Event. He asked our Foundation, Bomberos de la Riviera Maya. A.C., to participate by providing Ambassadors (volunteers) on holes #1 and #12 at this year’s tournament. Each year, the Mayakoba Golf Classic is supported by nearly 500 Ambassadors allowing the event to contribute significant funds to a wide variety of deserving charities and foundations. To date the event has donated $700,000 USD which has a direct impact on the Playa del Carmen Community.
Thanks to its relationship with the Mayakoba Golf Classic, the goal of the Bomberos de la Rivera Maya A.C., is to bring 10 sets of Jaws of Life to Quintana Roo. Our state currently has three sets (Playa del Carmen has two sets and Tulum has one set). Playa del Carmen uses their Jaws of Life two or three times per week, while Tulum has used theirs up to 20 times in one month. This equipment is invaluable. Without Jaws of Life, it takes 2-6 hours to get victims out with pry bars and hacksaws.
The normal price for a set of Jaws of Life is over $38,000 USD. Through the International Emergency Services Foundation (I.E.S.F.), and the organization’s President and Battalion Chief Mike Carr, we can purchase all 10 rebuilt sets through this foundation for $60,000.00 USD including shipping. Each set will include hydraulic cutters, separators, rams and stabilizers.
These 10 sets of Jaws of Life will be spread through out the State of Quintana Roo so that the entire Highway 307 is covered by each department from Cancun to Chetumal.
Personally, I did not know that all PGA TOUR events were dedicated to this type of charitable effort. So hats off to the members of the PGA TOUR, Greg Norman and the Mayakoba Golf Classic -- you have given something back and that is why they call you Gentlemen / Caballeros.
Basically here’s how it works, Bombers de la Riviera Maya A.C. has to come up with 27 volunteers to man the two holes assigned to us during the tournament (February 18 – 21, 2010). The days are 8 hours long so we will do it in two, 4 hour shifts each day with 27 people.
If we do this professionally and represent the Mayakoba Golf Classic as true Ambassadors of the PGA TOUR, Quintana Roo & Mexico, we will receive an important charitable contribution. Along with this, we are one of nine charitable organizations participating in a “Tickets for Charity” initiative which allows us. the Bomberos of the Riviera Maya A.C., to sell tickets to the tournament and keep the proceeds. Last year the tickets cost $30.00 USD this year the cost is $10.00 USD (or $100 pesos m.n.) and we get to keep 100% of the proceeds from the tickets we sell.
Here is the big BUT. We will do our best not to sell tickets to friends or locals that just want to donate to help us out and not attend. We want to sell tickets to people who will go to the tournament and support this important event with as many spectators as possible. The Mayakoba Golf Classic will provide a sizable reward to the group that drives the most spectators to the event. We will try to win this bonus, but please if you volunteer to sell tickets for us please respect what we are trying to do for the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
If we join together in support of the Bomberos of the Rivera Maya A.C. and the Mayakoba Golf Classic’s charitable efforts, we will be that much closer to achieving our goal of purchasing 10 sets of Jaws of Life. This equipment will provide coverage from Cancun to Chetumal on Highway 307 and it is my goal to achieve this before I retire March 31st 2010. Once we have this equipment, it will be distributed in the following manner: two sets to Cancun (one in the Hotel zone and one at the Central station), one set to Puerto Morelos, two more sets will be allocated here in Playa del Carmen, one set to Puerto Aventuras (new substation opening approximately June 2010), one set to Tulum, one set to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, one set to Chetumal, and one set for our State Fire Fighters school.
I know it is an impossible dream but here in Playa del Carmen we have been doing the impossible for years.
God Bless all of you.
Brian Borjesson
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