Events

Annual Christmas Concert
Norma Helena Gadea and Eduardo Araica
Openning by Mario Sacasa
December 13th

Our annual Christmas benefit concert took place on December 13th. Norma Helena Gadea, a living legend and Nicaraguan cultural icon, made an unforgettable performance for a capacity crowd in honor of the Ancianos Program of Fundación A. Jean Brugger. Among the most enthusiastic in attendance were ten lucky members of the Ancianos Program, two of whom presented Jean Brugger and Martha Vélez with very special tokens of their appreciation on the night of the concert. It was a very moving experience for all, and set an intimate tone for the evening.

Mario Sacasa opened the show accompanied by his percussionist playing a Peruvian instrument called "El Cajón". Mario is director of Fundación Futuro de Nicaragua, that provides the disabled and elderly with wheelchairs, walkers, and other services. Together with Norma Elena, Mario stayed the weekend in order to perform for 230 senior citizens the following Monday. Thank you Norma Elena and Mario for helping us raise awareness and funds in support of elders of San Juan del Sur.

Check www.dancesar.com for photos from the benefit concert.

Ancianos' Luncheon - November & December
Our Ancianos' Luncheon last month took place on November 17th. 150 old folks were in attendance! 32 Foundation students and 5 other volunteers were on hand to help out. There was bingo (of course!), as well as a raffle of tickets to our annual Christmas concert. The Foundation dance group, which is called "Asi es Mi Tierra," performed several folkloric dance numbers for everyone's enjoyment.

Our yearly Christmas luncheon was held on December 15th. This was our biggest event of the year - over 200 senior citizens showed up! We were so happy to destination_weddingshave both Mario Sacasa, a dear friend of the Foundation, and Norma Helena Gadea there to sing for the Ancianos. Mario, who is the founder of the Future of Nicaragua Foundation, also brought along a donation of crutches, walkers and electric chairs - a wonderful Christmas gift, to say the least!

We feel so blessed to have so many incredible people as a part of this program, and the support we receive each year is astounding. If you are interested in learning more about the Ancianos' Luncheon, or about becoming a sponsor, email us at fundacion@piedrasyolas.com.

Students Graduations
We are very proud to announce the graduations of four of Fundacion A. Jean Brugger's sponsored students!Francys, Kiara and Michael graduated from high school, and Aliana graduated from 6th grade. We are so very proud of these students and what they have accomplished - as well as what they will go on to accomplish in the years to come!

Thank you all for your support of these very deserving young people...this milestone event could not have happened without you all.

There are many more young people in need of a quality education. If you are interested in sponsoring a student through Fundación A. Jean Brugger, please contact us at fundacion@piedrasyolas.com.

December Baseball Camp
Fundación A. Jean Brugger and the Shatagin Family Foundation just finished another successful baseball camp for 30 boys and girls in San Juan del Sur. Our second baseball camp of the year, this group of kids enjoyed two weeks of baseball basics taught by local coaches Luis Carcamo and Alejandro Noguera. Alejandro is a local legend who pitches in Nicaragua's big league and has played on the Nicaraguan National Team in tournaments around the world. We are grateful for the leadership, discipline, and experience that Luis and Alejandro contribute to every baseball camp we do.

Each baseball camp works with a different school. Our staff works with the school director to identify students who will participate in the camp and meets with the parents to answer any questions or concerns. Once the kids and parents are all on board, we send out the foundation van to pick them up for their first day of baseball. Our coaches run drills and exercises, and always include a team discussion about not only baseball basics, but also life skills and human values. On the last day of the camp, we invite the kids and their school director to Piedras y Olas to visit our zoo area and enjoy a picnic lunch by the upper pools.

For more information and photos, please visit www.dancesar.com and www.fundacionajbrugger.org

Espiritu del Sur
On December 6th Fundación A. Jean Brugger held it's very first Christmas Art Fair, called Feria Espiritu del Sur (Spirit of the South). It was a great success! The fair took place from 11am to 3pm and was proud to have participation from artesans from around Nicaragua who sold their wares, which included ceramics, pine needle baskets, wooden spoons and utensils, traditional clothing, food and more! A blues band played and Santa Claus arrived at 2pm bearing MUCH candy for the local children. There was a cookie walk for the children, as well as face painting and ornament-making. Food vendors came out to sell traditional Nicaraguan food as well as corn dogs and hot dogs. The proceeds - about US $1000 - went to different programs of the Foundation. It was an incredible day all around and we look forward to doing it again next year.

Fundación A. Jean Brugger would like to especially thank Yvonne Martinez for all of her hard work organizing and coordinating Feria Espiritu del Sur. Without her, it would not have happened and we are eternally grateful. Thanks, Yvonne!

Mi Cámara, Mi Mundo
Galería del Sur, Fundación A. Jean Brugger, y Empowerment International Presentan
"Mi Camara, Mi Mundo"
Exhibición Fotográfica
17 de diciembre hasta 5 de enero

Fotografía por niños involucrados en los programas de Empowerment International (E.I.) en Granada. E.I. ayuda a que los niños de la calle de alto riesgo y sus familias entiendan el valor de una educación, mejorando su habilidad de quedarse en la escuela.

Photography by children involved in Empowerment International's (E.I.) programs in Granada. E.I. helps at-rist 'street kids' and their families understand the value of education, increasing their ability to stay in school.

Galería del Sur's First Year Anniversary Gala
Fundación A. Jean Brugger's Galeria del Sur, San Juan del Sur's first art gallery, celebrated its first anniversary with a gala event on Saturday November 22. The celebration, attended by over 75 supporters of the gallery, featured a new art show, as well as dance performances by "Así es mi Tierra", a local folkloric dance troupe comprised of foundation students.

The event launched a new exhibit of Nicaraguan art at the gallery. Curated by the Tobias Jimenez Gallery of Managua, this exhibit features some of Nicaragua's most well-known impressionistic painters including such notables as Raul Marin, Daniel Mayorga, and Francisco Rueda as well as Jimenez himself. Nicaraguan painters, such as those represented in this exhibition, are well-respected in international art circles for their exceptional grounding in the classical, expressionist and impressionist traditions and for the unique perspective they bring to these traditions, coming from a country with such a deep respect, and commitment to the arts.

Galería del Sur was established in 2007 and is a joint project between Tom and Janet Quinn and Fundación A. Jean Brugger. The Galería's main purpose is that of promoting national and international artists by hosting art and culture, while fostering a love of the arts and art education in the younger generation. All donations designated to Galería del Sur, and proceeds from sales, support the educational programs of the Galería.

Ancianos' Luncheon - May
We held our special Mothers' Day Ancianos' Luncheon on May 19th, and what a day it was! Approximately 180 ancianos were in attendance, along with 32 Fundación students and 8 other volunteers. Devon and Ally, friends from Union Church in Newton, Mass., were also on hand to help out. Devon and Ally brought gifts for all of the mothers in the crowd - about 150 women! - notebooks, pens, lotions, and more, all wrapped up in pretty gift bags. Thanks, girls!

The biggest surprise of the day came when Mario Sacasa, from Future of Nicaragua Foundation, appeared with 10 canes and 20 walkers. It was incredible to see some of these old folks, who could not walk otherwise, moving around again!

All in all, the day was a great success, full of music and happiness and fun. Next month our activity falls on Father's Day, and we hope to have another day just as fun as this one was. You can see more photos of the event here.

If you are interested in helping us raise money for our Ancianos' Activities, please send us an email. There are so many things people can do (bake sales, letters, etc.), and a little bit goes a long way!

Music Fest Nicaragua
Earlier this year we at the Fundación decided that we should put on an event that would nurture Nicaraguan culture and art and promote national artists, as well as encourage a greater sense of socio-economic responsibility in local and national businesses. Hence was born the idea for Music Fest 2008 - San Juan del Sur.

On April 18th and 19th the bay of San Juan del Sur was filled with music! After several (grueling) months of preparation and organization, we finally pulled off the first live music festival ever to be held in San Juan del Sur. The Fundación headed up the organization, and we received a lot of help from Comunidad Connect, Pelican Eyes... Piedras y Olas, and COTUR (the municipal tourism commission). We put out a call to local businesses and were overwhelmed by the response - over 30 hotels and restaurants provided lodging and food for the more than 35 Music Fest participants, and several local businesses pitched in to sponsor bands. We also received quite a bit of help from corporate sponsors, such as the beer and rum companies, Dollar Rent-a-Car, and others.

Over 100 volunteers showed up to give us a hand on both nights. Pelican Eyes... Piedras y Olas was our biggest sponsor, providing manpower, volunteers, food, and finances, and once again demonstrating its commitment to the Fundación and to the projects we undertake. I would also like to personally thank Jon Thompson, the Fundación's director, without whom this event would not have been the success it was.

Friday night we enjoyed exhibitions by Chuck, a graffiti artist, and Elements Obstruxion, a breakdance group, both from Managua. DJ Mafioso, from Atlanta, livened up the activities with great music - he was a hit! On Saturday the bands arrived from Managua, Rivas and Jinotega. We began at 5pm and ended at 2am, with 9 national bands performing, and DJ Mafioso spinning between sets. The street was full of people - dancing, swaying, singing. Combining both nights, we had approximately 1800 people in attendance! All in all, it was a tremendous success and we hope to continue hosting many more events of this type in the months and years to come! There are photos of the event on www.DanCesar.com, and more will be posted soon on www.musicfestnicaragua.com.