Captain Marielle and the Raft Race
Jul 3rd, 2007 by Dale Baskin
BUENOS AIRES – This is my friend Marielle. No, not the monkey, the other one. You may have read about her in some of my previous posts, but if not allow me to introduce her.
I met Marielle in Iquitos, Peru, last year when I went there for the Great Amazon River Raft Race. Marielle is from Holland where she left her job as a teacher to volunteer at a wonderful non-profit organization in Iquitos called Hogar Arco Iris, which in Spanish means “Rainbow Home.” She’s a great friend and an amazing role model to a lot of kids.
Arco Iris is home to about 50 children from Iquitos who are orphans or come from broken homes. Thanks to wonderful people like Marielle these kids have a real opportunity to make something of their lives in a place where it is so difficult to do so. They go to school, learn social skills, and are taught self-responsibility. They are even responsible for growing some of their own vegetables. During a year in South America I have seen a lot of charities, and this is a really good one.
Which is why I am writing this post.
Marielle has decided to enter a team in this year’s Great Amazon River Raft Race at the end of September. She is using the event to raise money for a children’s project in Iquitos, and I am asking everyone who reads this post to help out. This is a great opportunity to help some kids who have not been as fortunate as most of us, and I guarantee that with Captain Marielle at the helm the money raised will make a differnece in their lives.
Growing Vegetables (image courtesy of Hogar Arco Iris)
Everything helps, and in Peru a few dollars go a long way. If all you can afford is $10, please make a pledge. However, I know a lot of you can afford more – maybe $50 or $100. Heck, some of you spend $10 a day at Starbucks. (You know who you are…) So if you can pledge more, please do so. And don’t let the numbers I mentioned be a limitation if you feel really generous!
I know we all get tired of being asked to support one cause or another, and I wouldn’t ask for your help unless I was sure it would make a difference. You will probably never meet these kids, but through Marielle you can make a difference in their lives.
For information on sponsoring Captain Marielle’s team visit http://www.challengemenow.org/ and look for Marielle Pepels.
UPDATE: The Challengemenow website is very difficult to use and does not seem work most of the time, so you can make your pledge by posting a comment at the bottom of this page and including the amount of your pldege! (Your email address WILL NOT appear on this site!) I will provide you with either an address in the U.S. where you can send a check or information on how to send your pledge to me via PayPal, whichever you prefer. I will then deliver all of your pledges to Hogar Arco Iris in person when I visit later this year. Marielle reads this site and will see your pledges and any encouraging comments you leave for her!
Thanks for your help!!!
Hi Dale,
Thank you very much fot this. It´s always great when people want to help out. And we realy need all the help we can, because we want to make our school program bigger. And you know how bad the school system is! We want to do something for the kids in the neighbourhood and we want to start a project to teach the teachers! And that is realy important!
Thank you again.
Love Marielle
Marielle,
Since the Challengemenow.org website seems to have so many problems I have asked people to make their pledges here on my website. I will arrange to deliver the pledges to Hogar Arco Iris in person when I arrive in Iquitos later this year!
Dale
hey dale!
its your cousin kristen
i want to donate! how can I??
Dale, I will pledge $50. BTW do we get to find out if she wins the race?
Dale! I love your stories — your life is so different from when you here in Seattle.
Put me down for $50. Let’s make Marielle’s team and the kids they support the most well-funded one on the river!
Dale,
Mom and I will contribute $100.
Keep us posted on the race.
Dad
I feel the need to go one-up on Matt F – put me down for $51.00. Thanks for the link to the Blog & keep the stories coming.
Count me in for $50. Good luck with the race Marielle!
Dale, are you going to do the race as well?
Dale, we would be happy to help your friend raise money for her children’s project in Iquitos. Please put us down for $50. Thank you, also, Dale for the post cards you have sent to the kids. It has been so fun following you through your adventures in So. America. Love, Aunt Carol
Dale,
put me down for 100.00. I look forward to hearing of your adventures upon your return.
We’ll pledge $50. I will see if I can get my hands on some Hasbro games/toys with universal appeal too. I wonder how you say “Twister” in Spanish?
Hi everybody,
I’m speachless. You’re so generous. That’s so great. And you don’t even know me and Arco Iris.
I’m back from the race now. It was increible. It was hard and wet and warm and sunny and I have blisters on my hand, but it was also really really cool to do this. I can’t describe how it is to raft on the Amazon river. The scenery is very cool and beautiful, and even though we had some fights on the raft (not everybody wanted to go as fast as I wanted), we made it to the finish. We knew why we did this, so we realy worked for that. It’s amazing to know how much money we made and there are still people donating. Right now we have almost 5000 euros. And that for the children, and to change the school system here.
You’re all welcome to check out what we are doing here.
Love Marielle
Hi Dale and Marielle,
Thanks so much for giving us a chance to help. Children’s charities are important to me. Put me down for $50. And I look forward to your book!
Hi Dale, We would love to donate $50 to your special cause, the Iquitos Children’s Orphanage. Please send us the U.S. address so we can get it in the mail as soon as possible. Good luck to Marielle and her team on their raft race.
Hi Dale and Marielle. Best of luck on the Big Race. Hope you win for a second year. Count me in for $50 as well to support your incredible charity. Cheers, Susan from Seattle
Hey Dale and Marielle.
Glad to hear you finished the race. Good job! Put us down for $50.00 and please keep us posted on the school and kids. Maybe there could even be a music class!
Bill Baskin
Hi Dale,
I’m in for $50.00.
Remember, it is for the school…NOT alpaca burgers!
Stay safe on the Amazon.
Marcia
Dale, do we make the check payable to you or to Hogar Arco Iris? Aunt Carol
You should make checks out to me. I will send emails to those of you who requested PayPal instructions.
Thanks for all the donations!!!
bookmarked, i will add your homepage to my toolbar