The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista, Arizona and The Rotary Club of Agua Prieta, Sonora, México, are putting the "I" in "Rotary International" with a hands-on experience of this year’s International Grant Project. The Sierra Vista club sponsors bus stop shelters with the Aqua Prieta club to provide protection from the weather for school children and local passengers using the city bus system. The Sierra Vista Club and the Agua Prieta Club have jointly sponsored bus stop shelters, safe drinking water projects for public areas, blanket programs, and ‘bikes for grades’ programs over the past 6-8 years. This year, the clubs decided to get together to dedicate the latest completed bus stop and to celebrate with a picnic/Bar-B-Q held at the Agua Prieta Rotary Club House.
The cross-border visit caused Club International Director, Karina Rice Roberts, to execute special planning with the Agua Prieta club to plan for a ceremony on-site at the bus stop, add time for shopping, make a bakery stop, and provide a delicious lunch with drinks, laughter and good times in Mexico. Karina arranged for the shuttle bus service from Sierra Vista to Aqua Prieta and made it simple for the club members, using the shuttle to take them all around Agua Prieta.
Club members arrived in Agua Prieta, Mexico, parked next to specialty stores at the border, and proceeded down main street to purchase baked breads and Mexican pastries at a bakery, then toured the nearby plaza. We were met by our Agua Prieta Rotary hosts then we boarded our shuttle bus to see our sponsorship dollars hard at work for a wonderful and sustainable joint Rotary International Project. We conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the bus stop, then departed for the Agua Prieta Rotary CLUB HOUSE. It is a privately-owned property in the city with a BBQ Ramada and grill area. Lunch and drinks were served by our esteemed hosts and as a major surprise for the day, we were entertained by the Sonora Folkloric Dance Group. This group
of teenage performers danced and entertained us until it was time to leave. We sadly said Adios and departed Agua Prieta to Sierra Vista. (John Spengler, Rotary Club Reporter)