The Second Annual Zihua Sail Fest – 2003 will be held over the first weekend in February on Bahia de Zihuatanejo. While we do enjoy considerable support and participation from local business, government and the community in general this remains a completely cruiser organized and managed event. We have called this "Sail Fest" but certainly welcome participation by anyone who loves the water and life in Paradise. Sailors, power boaters, land cruisers, beach bums; come one, come all.

As with last year’s festival, all proceeds will go to benefit the Netzahualcoyotl Indian School in Zihuatanejo. Last year we raised over $4,000. for this very worthwhile cause and our goal is to improve significantly on that accomplishment this year.

The Netzahualcoyotl Indian School receives no support from the Mexican government and is the work of one very extraordinary woman, Marina Sanchez Hernandez. An Indian herself, she benefited from charitable help to obtain her own education and resolved to return that gift by dedicating her life to helping others. The purpose of the school is to provide Spanish language skills and primary education for the children, many of them orphans, of five indigenous Indian tribes. The traditional means of earning a living for these Indians are drying up and unless they can be assimilated into contemporary Mexican society they will surely perish. The primary problem is the children do not speak Spanish and without the language they are denied admittance in the Mexican school system. Marina started out teaching a few students under the trees and until recently the school was totally housed under tin roofs with stick walls. Over the last year the move has been completed to a permanent facility with several modern classrooms as well as a dormitory and kitchen to house those children who have no local support in Zihuatanejo. Work now continues to develop and expand the facility and it is to this purpose money raised will be used.

Once again we will have a dollar for dollar match of all funds raised, most generously provided by Gloria and Richard Bellack of the Bellack Foundation. In addition, direct contributions to the Indian school can be made through the Bellack Foundation and all donations are tax deductible for U.S. Taxpayers. Receipts for direct contributions will be provided. See any member of the organizing committee for details.

The organizing committee consists of:

In addition many, many people have volunteered to help out in various ways to help make this event a success.