Paso Por Paso, an Orillia-based grassroots organization helping low resource Mayan families in Guatemala, has announced a concert fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 17 at St. Paul’s Centre in Orillia.
Paso Por Paso will be hosting the “Mi tierra linda/My beautiful land” fundraising concert from noon to 3 p.m. featuring Guatemalan-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Paula Sofia, the organization said in a news release.
Tickets are $50 per person and include a live performance plus Guatemalan lunch from El Quetzal Restaurant & Bakery.
There will be a silent auction and artisanal Guatemalan products available for purchase during the event.
All proceeds will go directly to supporting Paso Por Paso’s education, community development and infrastructure programs including the rebuilding of four classrooms at the Tierra Linda school.
In February, six Paso Por Paso directors visited Guatemala to meet with families, students and Natün (the local partner in Guatemala) to review the organization’s support of programs in Tierra Linda.
Presentations from Natün program directors and staff described how people in the region fared during the pandemic.
Work for most was scarce as tourism to the Panajachel area dried up, and school was disrupted for parts of the time as online learning wasn’t a viable option for many families.
Many were dependent on support from Paso Por Paso and Natün during this time.
While the overall economic climate is improving, it will take time for the town and its residents to catch up.
When the directors visited the Tierra Linda school, they were greeted by all the children cheering and raining confetti on them.
The entire school and community came out to see them in recognition of the financial support that Paso Por Paso has provided in the past.
The school principal welcomed and thanked the group and later gave them a tour of the school.
During the school tour they were shown four classrooms in need of reconstruction due to decaying roofs causing them to leak and be unusable during the rainy season, which is six months of the year.
Said Doris Middleton, Paso Por Paso president: “After Paso Por Paso directors travelled to Guatemala this past February, we became aware of more needs for the Maya families we help to support. When we got back, the directors began to explore different means to fundraise in addition to our usual appeals. We are hoping for a great attendance at the Mi Tierra Linda event at St. Paul's Centre. This will enhance our funding to these communities in the upcoming year.”
Tickets for the Sept. 17 fundraiser can be purchased by going to Paso Por Paso’s website at pasoporpaso.ca/mi-tierra-linda-event.
