The Three Kings deliver gifts
posted:Saturday, January 7, 2006
by Rhea Heggaton
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 The day started off before the sun came up. Way before. I was so excited about Three Kings Day on January 6 that I hardly slept at all the night before (And I wasn't even waiting for a present!). On January 5 the Toys for Tots team going to Cabo Corrientes picked up our allotment of 275 toys that would be distributed on January 6. Boy's toys in one truck, girl's toys in another, and one filled with balls (soccer, volley and basket). We opted to load our trucks the day before since we wanted to be on the way at 6:00am on Three Kings Day.
Finally, the big day arrived. After a quick cup of coffee and a muffin at one of the volunteer's houses, we were on our way to deliver toys to the villages of Cabo Corrientes, south of Puerto Vallarta. Take the highway to El Tuito, turn right, go through the village. In no time at all we were on the dirt road which allegedly leads to Yelapa and more importantly will take us to our destinations.
We reached the first school in the village of Las Guasimas (6 school children) around 9:30am. Much to our dismay there was no one there-they received an extra week of winter vacation! However two youngsters were playing close by and quickly ran to get their classmates. And so our day helping the Three Kings began.
 At each school we asked the children what day it was. Some said "Friday" others "January 6" but most of them said "Día de los reyes magos." How many reyes are there? "Tres." And what do the reyes do? "They bring us toys". We explained that the original reyes, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar needed help delivering toys to all of the children of the world, and the volunteers from Toys for Tots were doing that just. The children were told that all the reyes wanted in return was that the children attend school, work hard, and behave for their teacher and parents. The children agreed that they could do that.
We encountered a classroom full of children in the village of Chacala, but the fourteen children in the village of Mascotita had an extra week of Christmas vacation. Again, it was not too hard to find the little ones. Soon we distributed toys to the school children and some of their younger brothers and sisters.
In Ixtlahuajuey (ish-wa-WA-way), the village with the largest population of children (61!), stopped what they were doing when they saw us coming. They each gave an enthusiastic "GRACIAS" when they received their toy.
 El Refugio was our final stop. We first stopped at the kinder, where all seven children were hard at work when we arrived. As we entered the room they each shook our hands and said "Mucho gusto." Then they took their seats to find out why these visitors had arrived to their small village. After we handed out the dolls and trucks they just stared in awe at the boxes. Some of the Toys for Tots volunteers got down on there knees and helped them open their boxes and then they began playing with their toys.
Then it was off to visit the older kids at the primary school. This was a bigger school, with two full classrooms. Unfortunately one of the rooms has a leaky, moldy roof. During the rainy season the children have class outside under a metal awning with cafeteria style tables under it where they normally eat their breakfast. The repair will cost 30,000 pesos (about $2,857 US), which doesn't seem like a lot of money, but here it might as well be 300,000 pesos in this tiny village. There is no shortage of people willing to do the work, but it is complicated job and the materials are costly.
We were on our way back around 3:00pm. As we drove back through the villages we saw the children playing with their trucks, dolls, and balls. Some girls had made beds for their baby dolls with box and some fabric.
Over 8,000 toys were distributed by caravans of volunteers.
 Toys were purchased in bulk with money raised from the Toys for Tots golf outing on December 17 at Vista Vallarta golf course, the gala dinner on December 18 at the CasaMagna Marriott, the raffle and auction at the dinner, and the sale of caps and tee shirts purchased by Coldwell Banker. Toys were also collected at PVNET and by the Navy League.
This would not be possible without the help of many generous sponsors, including the CasaMagna Marriott, Vista Vallarta golf course, Continental airlines, Coldwell Banker, US Marine Corp, International Friendship Club, and of course the Navy League. Several local business, restaurants, and artists generously donated items to the raffle and auction for the gala dinner held on December 18.
Thank you to everyone who made this year's Three Kings Day memorable for so many children. Everyone is looking forward to 2007.
For more information on Toys for Tots please contact Rhea.
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