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OUR HISTORY

March 17, 1960

Dr. Emmet O.
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
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
Ron Lavender

Founder Member

PAST PRESIDENTS

From 1960 to 2020

Catalina García Ramírez
Catalina García

Current President

2020-2022

Marilú Baca
Marilú Baca

2006-2010

Ron Lavender
Ron Lavender

1990-1992 | 1994-1996 | 2000-2002 2004-2006

Bertha Luz N. De Crofton
Bertha Luz N. De Crofton

1996-2000 | 2002-2004

Patricia de Córdova
Patricia de Córdova

1992-1994

Gertrude Mikalson
Gertrude Mikalson †

1988-1990

Jean Blum
Jean Blum †

1986-1988

 Betty Curlett
Betty Curlett

1984-1986

Herb Faybert
Herb Faybert †

1982-1984

Gayle Dorantes
Gayle Dorantes

1980-1982

Albert Scala
Albert Scala †

1978-1980

Leonard Glen
Leonard Glen †

1976-1978

Ben Shurtleff
Ben Shurtleff †

1974-1976

Robert Reynaud
Robert Reynaud †

1972-1974

Bernie Goodman
Bernie Goodman †

1966-1972

Teddy Stauffer
Teddy Stauffer †

1964-1966

Leo A. Dorfman
Leo A. Dorfman †

1962-1964

Dr. Emmet O. Rushing
Dr.Emmet O. Rushing †

1960-1962

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