Rotary Club of Three Creeks teams up with Mexican club to provide school supplies

The Rotary Club of Three Creeks and its Foundation hit the ground running during the 2023-24 Rotary Year with its second-ever international service project.

Through the work of our club's Rotary Foundation Chair Brian Heimbigner and club member/Foundation board member Wendy Bukoski, Three Creeks was able to partner with the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside. The two Rotary clubs participated in the Keep Kids In School Program to provide 250 children in Playa del Carmen with school supplies and USB drives in time for school to get started.

Our club's foundation contributed $1,000, with the help of a District 5100 matching grant, each contributing $500.

Wendy Bukoski, her daughter and a friend, delivered supplies purchased in Vancouver during a hot, humid August trip to Mexico. Teaming with Gayle Collins, a member of the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside, Wendy and her daughter sorted the school supplies and assembled bags for each student. The same supplies purchased in Vancouver would have cost 50-75 percent more in Mexico.

The mission of Keeping Kids in School -- also known as the KKIS Project -- is to provide school for children from the poor areas of the region to enhance their learning abilities in order to be a successful adult. The students have classroom and social experiences at school, then use the USB drives to do homework at internet cafes. It's extremely rare for students to have computers at home.

Playa del Carmen is on the Yucatan Peninsula, directly across from Cozumel, on Mexico's east coast.