OUR HISTORY
March 17, 1960
Dr. Emmet O.
First President & Founder
Dr. Emmet O. (Jack) Rushing was elected first president. Marie Stalon who now resides in Dallas, was married to Doctor Jack for thirty years prior to his death. Marie, Emi Fors, Mary Jane Weldler and myself are, to the best of my knowledge, the only currently surviving founders of the group.
I am certain that none of us, including Don Carlos, who attended that initial meeting had any idea of the tremendous future trajectory of Amigos de Acapulco (as the organization is known locally).
During the past sixty years, thousands of youngsters and, in turn, the children and grandchildren of those youngsters.
In addition to our aid to the orphanages we have carried out a scholarship program for deserving youngsters of high school and college age, allowing them to prepare themselves for more meaningful careers or professions.
For a number of years we supported a program of assistance to the State Children’s Cancer Hospital and the doctors there believed that the medicines which we were providing saved the lives of about six children per year. The state has now taken over complete funding of this hospital so we are now employing these resources in other areas.
Scores of people have been active and helpfull over the years but from the early days I recall vividly Dr. Jack Rushing and his wife, Marie, Leonard and Adele Glenn, Bernie and Gert Goodman, Teddy Stauffer and Herb Faybert. Their efforts truly stand out in my memory.
Baron and Baroness Ricky and Sandra di Portanova highlighted a colorful period during the 80’s and 90’s, lending their palatial home for out annual gala ball. They always invited celebrities as house guests which added lots of glamour to the event, all of wich added a great deal of appeal to the general populace. Those galas were always a great success. Harvey and Jean Eiseman were close friends of the di Portanovas and Jean has always been an enthusiastic promoter of our events.
That is an especially fun era to look back on, and those galas held at Arabesque always reflected very pleasingly in our bank balances.
We have received generous support on three occasions from celebrity entertainers, each one wich lent an important helping hand in our support of the youngsters.
These were:
Placido Domingo (on two occasions)
Juan Gabriel
Lucero and Mijares
Each of these played to audiences from two thousand to six thousand vigorous and cheering fans. We remain deeply grateful for their generous participation.
Also, we have had some especially generous benefactors over the years, and it is proper and fitting that they should be recoognized here:
John Stoddard
Edith Evans
Dan Brunner
Bank of America
Lila Bath
Robert (Buzz) and Judy Kleiman
Charles and Debby Marlett
A number of these gifts were given in the form of a charitable remainder trust. This may sound complicated but, in simple terms, it is just a matter of making a declaration in one’s will that a certain amount of one’s estate will be delivered to a specific entity, in this case, to the Friends of Acapulco, Inc. And this is a tax free donation either in the United States or in Mexico.
We sincerely hope that many of our members and friends will take heed of this suggestion. It is really a simple procedure. And it is an infallible way for you, as an individual, to make this a better world.
FOUNDERS
Don Carlos Barnard
Founder & Director of Hotel El Mirador
Don Carlos Barnard, director of the Hotel El Mirador extended an invitation to all foreign residents in Acapulco to attend a meeting announced his concern for a hundred or more needy children in Acapulco who were badly in need of food, clothing and shelter, and he felt that our lending assistance in the matter would not only be beneficial to the youngsters, but would help to create good will toward the foreign community on the part of the local citizens.
This call for assistance was universally well received on the part of the attendees and thus was amended eight years later to simply “Friends of Acapulco”.
Mr. Ron Lavender has served as President during several periods and is a Founding Member of the Friends of Acapulco. Ron Lavender is a man of great vision and a big heart and has been able to obtain extraordinary donations for the well being of the children of Acapulco. Many people have become members of this Association because of Ron Lavender’s spirit of giving and his tireless enthusiasm.
No person has done more to sustain and promote our Association than Mr. Ron Lavender. We would not be here if it were not for all his good work and efforts and he continues to be the driving force behind all we do.
Ron Lavender
Founder Member
PAST PRESIDENTS
From 1960 to 2020
Catalina García
Current President
2020-2022
Marilú Baca
2006-2010
Ron Lavender
1990-1992 | 1994-1996 | 2000-2002 2004-2006
Bertha Luz N. De Crofton
1996-2000 | 2002-2004
Patricia de Córdova
1992-1994
Gertrude Mikalson
1988-1990
Jean Blum
1986-1988
Betty Curlett
1984-1986
Herb Faybert
1982-1984
Gayle Dorantes
1980-1982
Albert Scala
1978-1980
Leonard Glen
1976-1978
Ben Shurtleff
1974-1976
Robert Reynaud
1972-1974
Bernie Goodman
1966-1972
Teddy Stauffer
1964-1966
Leo A. Dorfman
1962-1964
Dr.Emmet O. Rushing
1960-1962