 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Cash Donations: PAYPAL Checks Castaway Kids,Inc. Send to: Susan Schauf 6221 North Placita de Luis Tucson AZ, 85718 (520) 297-8414 susanschauf@yahoo.com In-Kind Donations: Sue Francis 226-1257 suekfrancis@gmail.com or Linda Rose 227-0178 lindalrose@gmail.com For more Information: castawykids@yahoo.com |
Website designed and donated by: Pam Brame @ CDA Seaside Realty
| Email Fred Wegener with questions or concerns: |
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
OUR ORGANIZATION:
Castaway Kids, Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation, and Castaway Kids Mexico, A.C., a
Mexican nonprofit corporation, are dedicated to serving the children of Fatima, Sonora, Mexico.
Fatima is the poorest subdivision in Guaymas, Sonora, located on Mexico’s Northwest Coast.
Castaway Kids provides money, food, clothing, shelter, recreational facilities, medical and dental
care, computers, school supplies, hygiene kits and other necessary goods and services to the children
of Fatima. Our goal is for these children and their families to become self-supporting so that they,
too, may assist other families similarly situated.
OUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES:
Click on the Fatima Parks link above the renderings to the right of this text for a detailed explanation of
the plans for the new park and a peek at the latest video!
On June 5, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service granted the Castaway Kids' Application for
Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations made
to Castaway Kids, Inc., an Arizona non-profit corporation, as of October 3, 2006, whether in cash or
in-kind, are now tax deductible! For all prospective donors who were waiting for tax exempt status
before making contributions, your time has come! And for those of you who participate in employer-
matching charitable contribution plans at work, please consider designating Castaway Kids, Inc. as
your charity of choice. Castaway Kids wishes to thank all of our donors over the years for their
generous donations. The Internal Revenue Code provides that, upon recognition of 501 (c) (3) status,
all donations received after the date of incorporation are tax exempt. Castaway Kids, Inc. was
incorporated on October 3, 2006. Check with your accountant or tax preparer before claiming any
donation as being tax deductible. A special thanks goes out to Susan Schauf, and her assistant,
Cheryl Duvall, who prepared the Application for Recognition of Exemption.
The 501 (c) (3) status could not have come at a better time. The Castaway Kids are busy negotiating
with the City of Guaymas for the donation of 4.5 acres of real property on which to build a park. The
property is located adjacent to Highway 15 on the south side of Guaymas, right in the heart of Fatima.
On May 20, 2008, Mark Mulligan and Pete Spencer of Pelican Cove Condominiums met with the
Mayor of Guaymas, Antonio Astiazaran, to begin the negotiations. Mark and Pete presented the
Mayor with aerial photographs of the site, with letters of recommendation from Tom Dudark of BAE
Systems, an American maquiladora plant in Empalme, and from Sally Montagne, Chair of the
Rotary District 5500 Grants Committee in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and with newspaper articles from
La Empresa, a statewide Sonoran newspaper, which published articles about the dedication of
another Castaway Kids project, Parque de Adela, on May 7, 2008. The presentation was well
received! The Mayor suggested that Mark and Pete meet with two key city councilmen. The meeting
with the councilmen took place on June 13, 2008. In preparation for this meeting, a graphic artist,
Angie Leyva, from Pelican Cove Condominiums, prepared the renderings posted to the right of
this text. Click here for the video of the renderings. The renderings depict plans for the new park,
which include remodeling an existing building into a community center, refurbishing an existing
combination baseball/soccer field, reconfiguring an existing basketball court, building a volleyball court
and installing state-of-the-art playground equipment covered with a metal awning. In addition, Mark
Mulligan translated the recommendation letters originally presented to the Mayor from English to
Spanish. The two councilmen, who are members of a Subcommittee of the City Counsel, were
impressed enough to order a survey of the property so that they can ascertain a correct legal
description. The legal description will form the basis of the contract which will eventually transfer the
property from the City of Guaymas to Castaway Kids Mexico, A.C. The survey will begin during the
week of June 16th. It normally takes several months for the City of Guaymas to schedule a survey, but
the Mayor and Councilmen have put the proposed park on a "fast track". We need to have a
unanimous vote of the Subcommittee for the project to go forward, but the two most influential
members of the Subcommittee are solidly behind the project, thanks in no small part to the Mayor and
his influence. After the park clears the Subcommittee, it will be presented to a Committee and, if it
gets through the Committee, the project will be presented to the entire Guaymas City Council.
Although the project is still in the negotiation stage, the Castaway Kids believe that the City of
Guaymas will donate the land before the end of the summer. Work on the new park could begin as
early as this Fall. The Castaway Kids thank Mark Mulligan and Pete Spencer for their help, tenacity,
and persistence in guiding us through these delicate but necessary negotiations.
When and if the land is transferred to Castaway Kids Mexico, A.C., we will then begin the process of
soliciting donations and pledges for the new park. We plan to recognize our major donors by
dedicating portions of the park to them or to the memory of their loved ones. We will need donations
of books, art supplies, sewing machines and computers and printers for the new community center.
We will also need donations or pledges for the purchase of new playground equipment and for the
purchase of the metal awning needed to cover the equipment so that it is accessible during the hot
summer months. We will need additional donations or pledges for the refurbishing of the
baseball/soccer field, the reconfiguring of the basketball court and the building of the volleyball court.
Assuming that title to the property is transferred, we will then begin the process of gathering estimates
of the specific costs for each of these projects. We will post the projected costs on this website as
soon as the information becomes available. Questions about the park can be e-mailed to Jim
Bomberg at bomkar@cs.com. These are amazing times for the Castaway Kids!
OUR DONATION CAMPAIGNS:
The Castaway Kids have had two very successful donation campaigns: The "Keep a Kid in School"
campaign and the "Shoes for Tots" campaign. Unfortunately, we can no longer accept donations of
tangible goods at this time. We just do not have the volunteer help that we need in the summer in
order to transport and distribute clothing and shoes. We will, however, continue to accept cash
donations. Donations made in honor of loved ones are listed on our Memorial Page in this website.
OUR FUTURE GOALS:
The Castaway Kids have obtained the Marina Terra Beach Club for its 2008 Christmas Party,
scheduled for December 7, 2008. Thanks go out to the Marina Terra Hotel for donating the Beach
Club for a second year. Thanks also go out to Pete Spencer of Pelican Cove Condominiums for
securing the donation of the Beach Club for a second year. The Castaway Kids volunteers ask that
donors begin to gather gifts during the summer months which can be used at the Christmas Party. A
special call goes out for school supplies, crayons and coloring books, stuffed animals, dolls, diapers,
receiving blankets, sporting equipment (footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, baseballs) and hygiene
items. Instructions on getting these items to San Carlos in the Fall will follow. Have a great summer!!
NEXT MEETING: TBA
