Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Nancy W  on November 22, 2014, 11:37 am
Word on the street is that some people are questioning why Activos Gym is the beneficiary for this year's tree party. Here's how I respond to that question:
-It’s used mostly by local community members and the fees are very low so as to make it affordable. Unfortunately the low fees are not sufficient to keep it afloat.
-Exercising was not, in general, a major part of the culture here (especially for women). Within the community here there are high rates of health issues associated with being overweight.
- Since the gym opened there has been a noticeable increase in people exercising, not just at the gym but also out walking, etc.
- It was a gift to the community- thank you to the donors Robert and Cindy.
-It’s benefited many (especially the women) in the community.
-It was originally supported financially by La Huerta because of the health benefits it provides but no longer receives this support.
-It has been instrumental in starting the dialog about healthy living, exercise and better nutrition.
-There is a program in the elementary school and kids get a free 30min exercise class once a week sponsored by the gym.
Ps. In case there's any question about what's in it for me, the only relation I've had with the gym for over a year is that I helped put the 5km family fun run on last February and I recently began giving aerobics class one hour per week. My classes are currently on Mondays at 6pm if you'd like to come jump around a bit with me  !
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Magnolia's crew on November 22, 2014, 12:50 pm, in reply to "Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
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and we are thrilled to be hosting this event in our new location - and that someone else has taken on all the organizational work. Thank you to Nancy, June and the gym, let's make it a big success!
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Nancy W on November 22, 2014, 1:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"|
Way more thanks due to June and to Magnolia's than to me!
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Marcia G. on November 22, 2014, 1:03 pm, in reply to "Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
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Nancy, thank you for clarifying.... I'm working on my "tree" 
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Cathie on November 23, 2014, 8:29 am, in reply to "Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
187.148.186.46
Healthy living has so many benefits and influences on those around it. The ripple effect of that is amazing! Thanks to all that support that effort through the gym 
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by becci starr on November 24, 2014, 11:51 am, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
187.148.42.232|
No need to explain Alex…I get that it isn't your event and understand you are generously hosting the party but not my cause…there is a big difference between a non profit and a for profit organization…if it can't generate the funds necessary to operate then the problem is a business issue not a fundraiser bailout…what happens when the funds run out which seems inevitable??? It would be more intelligent to bring together interested individuals as an advisory board to help the gym get on track with better long range planning…more programming and classes..or new ways of generating income…that are permanent solutions not a quick and easy fix that doesn't solve the problem …and when monies raised by the auction dry up after being spent for what??? and then what??? It's not enough to say they need help…you owe it to donors to address this with a line item budget and transparency on the current profit and loss statements. How do I know without numbers what we are talking about here…?? Well I don't and moreover I'm more interested in a benefit that serves the children of LaManzanilla specifically…not a "sponsorship" that is vague or like last year the clinic and ambulance benefiting a larger segment of our community with a cause that is forward moving and long lasting…yes it is necessary for people to get good healthy nutritional information and off their butts for the purpose of excercising but it takes motivation and encouragement and a gym is not going to make it happen …this is a luxury that is not essential to the process…unless you are convinced it can't happen without it which as you can see I am not…..
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by becci starr on November 23, 2014, 6:39 pm, in reply to "Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
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What a shame because however it is said this wonderful event will not be directly benefiting the children of LaManz or anybody save a few people who want a place for their own revenue stream. We were so excited to contribute another art tree this year and had so much fun last year at the event…but really..I do not use the gym and although you say it is tied to health and well being…who are you kidding..it is not essential to healthy habits that can easily be within reach by eating well and walking on the beach…maybe stretching and sit ups too. We will not be a part of something that obviously can not survive on it's own and benefits the few…namely gringos. Maybe next year the cause will be more worthy and something to be proud to be a part of…not apart from….
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Alex on November 23, 2014, 11:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
187.146.130.186|
as a new business we offered this event to many people to host as their own event - meaning they decide who gets the proceeds as well as they manage the door, the receiving and placement of the trees and in general relieving us of the duties that my mother, kate, jeanne, brian, glenn and I took on for so many years. the first to actually show the passion needed to organize this event was the gym participants. I do not want to speak without proper knowledge but it is my understanding that the gym is now run independently by a Mexican woman who believes in the gym yet does not want to charge more to make ends meet - and without a donation, the ends won't meet and the gym risks closing . a very generous couple set up the gym and then turned it over to this woman and then Nancy and June, teachers at the gym, felt the need to keep something going that makes a difference in our community. the point is NOT for the gringos to use it. It is for the locals, the Mexicans, who are involved and ulitize the services offered. when gringos do use it, it is a bonus to the daily income that helps possibly in the winter, yet we have the summer months also to contend with. I believe in this as a great cause to keep something going that has been such a benefit to the local community. I hope you will see it the same way. We are creating trees to make money to keep the gym alive for the local Mexicans who live her year round and want to work out and/or shake their booty to some Zumba! good for them!
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Rick on November 24, 2014, 2:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
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As a past program director of a WORLD WIDE NGO called Engineers Without Borders (Boulder, Colorado) I certainly know, not believe, that I have a deeper perspective than most on issues surrounding foreign involvement with and solutions to problems in communities throughout the world.
We have not dozens, not hundreds, but tens of thousands of members who have taken on projects around the globe to benefit humankind. And lest anyone think that just because the term "Engineers" resides in the name, it is a misnomer. By that I mean that while the solutions provided by EWB do have an engineering component within them, BY FAR and I emphasize, BY FAR, the biggest component of any project undertaken by EWB is, at the core and at the end a health project.
For example, we lift and filter water (through engineering design) in a Latin American from a low stream up to a high village in order to provide a cleaner source of water to help with health. As a side-light, it also removes the burden from the village's girls who had to lug it instead of going to school. We bring light (through engineering design) to a birthing room in an African village in order to make nighttime births easier to facilitate which lowers infant mortality which is a health metric. I could go on and on with hundreds and hundreds of these projects that EWB has done successfully.
It could be called Madonna without Borders as long as the end result is a health improvement to the community. Around the world, there seems to be a shared belief or goal or desire to have our children's lives be better than those we had and that is usually summed up in the comment, "Can they live longer and healthier than we did"? Pretty simple, pretty tough to deny if you ask me.
We are changing lives for the better at EWB and we have the modus operendi to prove it and the contributors who absorb the data metrics and know we are helping with health. Gates Foundation, Clinton Foundation, partners with Doctors w/o Borders, the fraternity and partnerships are is un-matched and un-challenged.
So, with that personal background perspective in my career and the exposure I have gained, I look at the gym here in LM with the experience of nearly a decade of living here and see it as one of the most significant benefactors of human health ever instituted here. Lives are changed, and not only for those that come to the gym.
Come to the fun run and get run over and mowed down by the kids of those who are at the gym. These kids, the future of La Manzanilla, are inspired to be healthier. Come lift weights and watch the parade of parents bringing their kids to Zumba and see how inspired these kids are to exercise. Listen as young girls from 6 to 15 yell across the streets when they see the class instructors and they wonder when the next class is at. The 'movement' is organized, it is cathartic, it is contagious. Come and witness the gym staff work with many of the village's boys through boxing skills that build healthy bodies and imbue them with the knowledge of healthier eating choices and ridding themselves of unhealthy habits. If you look around and listen and open your eyes, you can not help but see it.
Schools are also important, I do not discount that. EWB strengthens tons of schools in the high Andes of Ecuador where seismic events hold court. Many of the LM fund raisers in the past did go to the schools and that is good, was good, could be good again.
Lastly, let's not fall prey to the thinking that good is the enemy of perfect.
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Cathie on November 24, 2014, 3:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
187.148.186.46-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by Dave on November 24, 2014, 3:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"|
I totally disagree with becci starr's comment. Lack of physical activity and obesity are major issues in the world today. It's easy to tell people to "get off your butt and go walking" etc. but much harder to do if you are over weight and/or lethargic. A gym and having fun activities is how people get started on appreciating the value of exercise and good health. And I believe it is helping the local people including the children. Rick said it very well and kudos to all those who are helping. Health & Happiness to all ...
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-----------------------------The Ocean
Posted by Mark S on November 24, 2014, 4:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
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The ocean provides everybody with a place to stay fit. It's only a block away from the gym.
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-----------------------------Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by June on November 24, 2014, 5:22 pm, in reply to "The Ocean"
Thank you Becci for expressing your opinion. This gives us a great opportunity to discuss the matter further.
Just some background. Activios was a project started by Cruz and her kids. They spent over two years working on the project. It started with a survey where-in they asked the Mexican community what they wanted and the community responded that they wanted a gym with exercise classes and weights. Cruz and her kids took that information, created an advisory board of local Mexicans and got the gym off the ground. Last year they turned the gym over to Gaby Martinez who is from a local family, is well respected, and extremely hardworking and professional. Because the gym originally had a stipend for operating costs from La Huerta they were able to offer very low membership rates to locals- $220 pesos a month. The funding from La Huerta has been pulled through no fault of the gym.
It was always thought that the gym would be a nonprofit and the income would come from; memberships or earned income (1/3rd), special events (1/3rd) and grants (1/3rd).
To your point, the model was not completely and thoroughly thought out. However, everyone did the best they could with what they had. The biggest issue has been getting nonprofit status which everyone knew would be challenging but is also taking a lot longer than anticipated. There are ongoing conversations with Pro La Manzanilla and La Catalina on how the gym can partner with and become part of these existing nonprofits. The staff, instructors, and key stakeholders are all working on viable and sustainable ways to maintain the facility and once again we are doing the best we can.
There is a scramble to keep the facility open and yes the winter season and the arrival of the tourists has come in the, “nick of time”. The fees foreigners pay certainly help keep the gym afloat. The 2nd Annual Family Fun Run will bring in additional fees, and the Tree Party is just another event in the mix.
For me personally I’ve seen the gym's benefit to the community by inspiring people, especially women, to try something new, think about healthy choices and exercise more. There has been a noticeable increase in the amount of people out walking, running and being active since the gym opened. In contrast to 3 years ago, exercise and healthy living has now become a more mainstream part of the dialogue here in La Manzanilla.
It is not my intention to try to convince you the gym is good. People have their own perceptions and beliefs which all must be respected. Your opinion and your points are valid. For me, I want to do what I can to keep the gym going. If you are curious about the gym's operations and who uses the facility please feel free to stop by the gym and have Chela show you around, and Gaby I'm sure would be more than happy to show you the books.
For the past several years I have also worked closely with La Catalina and managed their school supply drive. If education is something you are passionate about, I earnestly and eagerly welcome your support during the school supply drive. Whether that is making a donation or meeting with us to help divide and deliver with supplies or other important tasks, we value your support and involvement.
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by becci starr on November 24, 2014, 6:33 pm, in reply to "Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
187.148.42.232|
aaahhh finally a sane person in the room.. Thank you so much June for intelligently addressing my issues…I would like to show my appreciation with a 500 peso contribution to where ever you think it would best be used and..I would like to put it your hands and give you a big hug…where and when can I do that???
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-----------------------------Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?
Posted by June and Nancy on November 25, 2014, 1:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Why is Activos gym the beneficiary of the tree party?"
Becci,
Thanks for your message. Nancy and I gave the response lots of thought and consideration before we posted it. We appreciate you taking the time to read it and respond.
Please email me at june@visitlamanzanilla.com to set up a meeting.
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-----------------------------Re: The Ocean
Posted by Rick on November 24, 2014, 9:01 pm, in reply to "The Ocean"
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"The ocean provides everybody with . . . ". I could almost snicker at this statement if I could first get over how pathetic it is. I guess, it stands to reason that any poor, small foreign beach town is not complete these days without some elite want-to-be descendent of egalitarian French culture who wants to enrich us with the phrase often (perhaps incorrectly but the point is still made) attributed to Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI of France who uttered, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche", (Let them eat cake) spoken to the peasants who were suffering a bread shortage. Then again, America's Ronald Reagan wanted us all to laud his declaration that school kids were getting their vegetables because their lunches now offered tomatoes in the form of Catsup.
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