BajaNomad

5th Annual BajaNomad Dia de Reyes Toy Drive

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fdt - 1-13-2011 at 08:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNomad
What's the latest day/time for drop off at Baja Bound in Downtown, and at Jackson-Hewitt in Chula Vista?

Thanks,
-
Doug

It would be early on friday. Remember we have to transport them to México.
Thank you

BajaGeoff - 1-13-2011 at 01:07 PM



Señor Nomad Doug Means made a delivery today....more goodies for the kids!

fdt - 1-13-2011 at 05:46 PM

Great Doug, setting the example.
Gracias,
Fernando

pacside - 1-13-2011 at 06:45 PM

fdt

Just ordered an egift card from Toys R Us to be sent to your email address. It can be printed and redeemed in a store. If you are under time constraints then you can forward the egift card email to someone else who is able to do the shopping.

Sorry for last minute.

Thanks for all your good work. Look forward to seeing the happy faces once pics are posted of the event.

pacside

Ken Cooke - 1-13-2011 at 06:48 PM

Sorry FdT, but I wanted to attend this weekend with my Wife. We are having logistics issues with no Internet at the moment and my not wanting to walk across the linea with $1250 in camera gear. We will attend next year.

-Ken

woody with a view - 1-13-2011 at 07:49 PM

here is another option. it's called greendot and i'm getting mine at walgreens. you buy the card and u2u the pin number to Ferna. he loads it to his account and doesn't have to hassle with getting toys past the border 2 at a time. he also needs $ for the tamales and dulces for the ninos.



i'm in for $50 tomorrow.

edit: oooopps! i guess i should read the entire thread!:lol::lol::lol::light:

[Edited on 1-14-2011 by woody with a view]

fdt - 1-13-2011 at 07:54 PM

Thanks Woody.

fdt - 1-13-2011 at 07:55 PM

Thank you pacside. I sent you an email.

fdt - 1-13-2011 at 08:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Sorry FdT, but I wanted to attend this weekend with my Wife. We are having logistics issues with no Internet at the moment and my not wanting to walk across the linea with $1250 in camera gear. We will attend next year.

-Ken

Come anyway without the camera, you can use mine so we can have a video.
saludos
Fernando

fdt - 1-13-2011 at 08:07 PM

We are scheluded to meet at the Mexicoach terminal at 9AM on Sunday the 16th. Please tell me who is coming. We have 2 buses lined up because of the ammount of children involved and we get to pick most of them up. there is plenty of room and food for any Nomads that want to attend the event. it's going to be a lot of fun.

BajaNomad - 1-13-2011 at 08:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fdt
We are scheluded to meet at the Mexicoach terminal at 9AM on Sunday the 16th.
Which one? ;)

BajaNomad - 1-13-2011 at 08:32 PM

Thank you to members of BNI Carmel Valley for your support with gifts for the kids this year. I appreciate the support very much.

BajaNomad - 1-13-2011 at 09:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNomad
Quote:
Originally posted by fdt
We are scheluded to meet at the Mexicoach terminal at 9AM on Sunday the 16th.
Which one? ;)
Just heard from fdt - we're meeting at 9am at the Mexicoach station in Tijuana on Av. Revolucion between 6th & 7th - and going straight from there to pick up the kids.

Is there anyone else going that would want to meet up before crossing? Thought we might drive or walk across, but am now thinking to just take the Mexicoach from San Ysidro back and forth. Uncertain of their morning schedule right now - haven't looked it up yet.

goldhuntress - 1-13-2011 at 09:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
here is another option. it's called greendot and i'm getting mine at walgreens. you buy the card and u2u the pin number to Ferna. he loads it to his account and doesn't have to hassle with getting toys past the border 2 at a time. he also needs $ for the tamales and dulces for the ninos.



i'm in for $50 tomorrow.


I did that last night and it's super easy. I purchased mine at Rite Aid for $20.

woody with a view - 1-13-2011 at 09:45 PM

that's why you are awesome, if you didn't already know!

sd - 1-14-2011 at 01:25 AM

There will be three of us attending. Myself, my daughter Sara and her boyfriend Jesse. I have attended the past two years, and Sara came with me last year. We park on the US side, take the bus at the parking area and go through the border crossing. From there the bus takes us directly to the Tijuana bus station where we meet the Baja Nomad group.

It's easy and inexpensive.

On the return the bus drops us off and we walk back to the US side.

It is great fun and once again I wish to extend my thanks to all that contribute to make this event happen for the kids.

Scot

fdt - 1-14-2011 at 02:02 PM

Today is the last day to reach our goal of getting gifts and food for a little over 200 children, the date is January 16. There are a lot of sales on toys going on and we hope you can help make this event successful.
We have 2 drop off locations for gifts this year, the good people from Jackson Hewitt again have agreed to allow us to receive gifts at their Chula Vista location.

Miss Nidia Puerto is our main contact person.
JACKSON HEWITT
1655 Broadway,
Suite 10
Chula Vista, CA 91911
Phone number (619) 426-6516

The second location is with our friends at BajaBound Insurance

Toy Drive c/o Baja Bound Insurance Services, Inc.
750 11th Avenue #101
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone (619) 702-4292

BajaGeoff - 1-14-2011 at 05:14 PM

I will be there.....with possibly two other guests.

Doug and Scot - let me know what your plans are. I think we will probably park in San Ysidro and take the bus as well. Mexicoach does not seem to show the times on their website however....

BajaNomad - 1-14-2011 at 06:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGeoff
Doug and Scot - let me know what your plans are. I think we will probably park in San Ysidro and take the bus as well. Mexicoach does not seem to show the times on their website however....
I just talked on the phone to Leo of Mexicoach in San Ysidro. Said he'd have a bus there for a 8am departure for us Sunday at the Border Station parking lot. This will be our planned way of getting there Sunday.

$6 round-trip/each.

If you miss that departure, the next one isn't until 9am. Would then need to walk across and take a taxi libre/economico/etc.

woody with a view - 1-14-2011 at 08:24 PM

Ferna

check u2u.

you are the heart and soul of Nomad....

one day i hope to shake your hand, amigo!

fdt - 1-14-2011 at 09:05 PM

Thank you so much Woody.

fdt - 1-15-2011 at 02:37 AM

If someone is interested in contributing in a monetary manner, we don't have a Paypal account but we have something similar and that is a Green Dot card. How this works is that you can purchase at almost every CVS /pharmacy, RiteAid, Wallgreens, 7 Eleven or Kmart a Green Dot Money Pack for any ammount from $20 and up.



Once purchased, just scratch off at the back and you can U2U me the numbers and that will really help us to make this event succesfull.
Gracias
Fernando

fdt - 1-15-2011 at 09:09 AM

Wrapping, wrapping, wrapping and then more wrapping. :wow:

fdt - 1-15-2011 at 09:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNomad
Just heard from fdt - we're meeting at 9am at the Mexicoach station in Tijuana on Av. Revolucion between 6th & 7th - and going straight from there to pick up the kids.

Is there anyone else going that would want to meet up before crossing? Thought we might drive or walk across, but am now thinking to just take the Mexicoach from San Ysidro back and forth. Uncertain of their morning schedule right now - haven't looked it up yet.

This is our bus

It would really be great if more Nomads would attend this event. It would be a very memorable, entertaining and just plain great experience. And the tamales are delicious, It's the best part.



Here is Danielle, Doug and myself having the best time eating.

David K - 1-15-2011 at 01:18 PM

YUMMY!

fdt - 1-15-2011 at 06:11 PM

Just got back from the final contrabando hormiga run (toy smuggling run) and it's back to wrapping.

woody with a view - 1-15-2011 at 06:17 PM

the kids are worth it, no?

BajaNomad - 1-15-2011 at 08:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
the kids are worth it, no?
I think fdt's actions speak much louder than words here.

:smug:

Lots of good thoughts for us at the event tomorrow! Thank you to all for your support.

-
Doug

[Edited on 1-16-2011 by BajaNomad]

woody with a view - 1-15-2011 at 08:48 PM

definate Nomad of the year status!:saint:

fdt - 1-15-2011 at 09:41 PM

Still wrapping.

fdt - 1-16-2011 at 12:27 AM

Done wrapping! :yawn:

BajaNomad - 1-16-2011 at 02:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by fdt
Done wrapping! :yawn:


Nice. See you in a few hours.

fdt - 1-16-2011 at 08:25 AM

At last count we gift wrapped 179 toys and will have an aditional 18 accounted for at Mexicoach (adding what Geoff and Scot are bringing) and we have about 50 -60 extra of the small dollar store type unwrapped to use, just in case. Aditional to the children and adults attending today, we also adopted a group of 60 disabled children that will not be attending personaly because of the special needs they have but we have already wrapped and assigned for them 60 toys deppending on their individual capabilities. So about 317 toys will be given away today. Bajabound Insurance sponsored 300 tamales. BBBait & Tackle sposored all the additional food, drink and disposable plates, cups, forks, napkins and more items. We also received a $100 gift card for Toys R Us and a $25 e-gift cert from Toys R Us that we used for the additional toys. We also received 3 Green Dot Card donations that were used to purchase wrapping paper, tape, gas for the people that helped with the smuggling campaign.
It has been a bit less donors but those have been more substantial so we accomplished our goal and then some.
Thank you all, without you this could not happen.
Thanks also to our faithful bike donor Mark.
Saludos and off we go. Stay tuned for pics.
Fernando

ELINVESTIG8R - 1-16-2011 at 08:36 AM

Have a great day making kids happy!

fdt - 1-16-2011 at 08:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ELINVESTIG8R
Have a great day making kids happy!

Gracias David. it was great. Stay tuned for reports.
fdt (fernadetijuana)

David K - 1-16-2011 at 11:17 PM

Looking forward to it Fernando!

Ford - 1-16-2011 at 11:59 PM

Fernando....thanks for the nice post you made my day! My kids are so proud when they see pics of one of their gifts being given to someone with a huge smile!!!!
Really makes you wonder when you do a little something to help someone...........who benefits more the giver or the receiver?

DENNIS - 1-17-2011 at 08:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by fdt
At last count we gift wrapped 179 toys and will have an aditional 18 accounted for at Mexicoach (adding what Geoff and Scot are bringing) and we have about 50 -60 extra of the small dollar store type unwrapped to use, just in case.



Ferna....just curious. What was it like bringing all those toys through the border? Did you have to make prior arrangements?

fdt - 1-17-2011 at 09:48 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Ferna....just curious. What was it like bringing all those toys through the border? Did you have to make prior arrangements?

The toys have always gone thru the "Contrabando Hormiga" process. in other words we make numerous trips back and fourth México / US and walk back with small bags as if it was groceries (we received a good donation of used Albertsons bags from Bajabound) and it took about 25 trips to accomplish this. Jen from bajabound did quite a bit getting the bigger toys down on a daily basis. Gracias

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 03:49 PM

Per the plan noted earlier in the thread, many of us started the day by taking the Mexicoach from the Border Station parking lot. This is at the end of the off-ramp for the last USA exit, Camino de la Plaza. $7 for parking for the day (must be out by 10am the following morning), or $6 if you pre-pay.

Mexicoach round-trip to Tijuana station on Av. Revolucion from here, for age 7 and older, is $6 per person. I didn't "study" the Mexicoach schedule, but it seems this Sunday their schedule was a departure on the hour, every hour until about 5p or 6p. Was told the last departure from TJ to San Ysidro was 6p.

Those making it by bus departure were myself, Michelle, Ryland, Scot (sd), Sara, Jesse, George (Don Jorge) and Leah (sp?).

We were expecting Baja Geoff and his wife, and thought they must've had a different plan for transportation as they weren't there to ride the 8am Mexicoach.

[Edited on 1-17-2011 by BajaNomad]

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 03:52 PM

On the USA-side, Officials had narrowed the access to the border on I-5 down to 2 lanes.. we had an official approach and enter the Mexicoach bus, and as I'd just taken his picture out the front window, he (very nicely) requested that I delete that picture of him, which I did....

This was a pic taken just prior to his appearance of the bottleneck....

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:04 PM

Otherwise, fairly uneventful getting to the bus station on Av. Revolucion. They are working on the station in the back, and we were actually let off the bus right on Revolucion.

Time: about 8:20am. We've got 40 minutes until scheduled "meet" time there at 9am.

In that time, there must've been about 20-30 taxi's coming by, stopping, honking at us, seeing if we needed a lift somewhere.

Pretty quiet on Revolucion at this time, with some interesting passersby looking like they were wrapping up their activities from the night before.

Within a few minutes, up pulls another cab, and out pops Baja Geoff and new friend he brought along, Matias from Finland. Matias has a year off from work, and is currently in San Diego by way of San Francisco. He's planning to ride his Kawasaki
dual sport down the peninsula soon - and then cross to the mainland and continue his journey. More on Matias:
http://lostfinn.com

Geoff told us they saw us leaving in the bus and had missed us by about a couple of minutes.

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:05 PM

Avenida Revolucion; 8:30am

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:09 PM

Valentin from Mexicoach showed up a few minutes later to wait for Armando who was driving the bus. Both these gentlemen volunteered their time, as well as Mexicoach graciously donating the use of the city tour bus again this year. I don't think we've really communicated how much we've appreciated this, and how helpful Mexicoach has been to us with this. Greatly helpful, and appreciated.

The bus approaches...

[Edited on 1-17-2011 by BajaNomad]

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:10 PM

Outside the bus station on Av. Revolucion.

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:13 PM

And we're ready to go...

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:14 PM

.

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:14 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:17 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:22 PM

We head directly to the newer Colonia (just outside of La Gloria) to pick up the kids.

We begin noticing that the power wires that exist in this area have many illegal connections hooked to them - called "Diablitos". These are common to find in the poorer areas of Tijuana, and are quite dangerous. Reference:

http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/2006112...

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:23 PM

And then we reach the kids, who are waiting for us on the hillside ahead.

DENNIS - 1-17-2011 at 04:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNomad
Outside the bus station on Av. Revolucion.



Looks like a deserted movie set.

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:25 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:26 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:27 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:28 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:29 PM

BajaGeoff...

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:32 PM

There was an additional bus being used to transport kids to the event, and it needed a little push start at this point - which was actually successful in getting it restarted.

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:33 PM

Waiting for the other bus to get restarted...

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:36 PM

On the bus...

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:37 PM

On the bus...

David K - 1-17-2011 at 04:37 PM

Cool... I noticed the downtown looks deserted in the photos.

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:39 PM

Geoff letting the kiddos "borrow" his video camera....

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:39 PM

On the bus...

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:41 PM

Turning the corner onto Blvd Agua Caliente on the way to the Hotel Corona Plaza in Tijuana....

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:41 PM

And we're here!

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:42 PM

Everyone out....

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:43 PM

Are you ready kids???? YES!!!

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:44 PM

Well then... let's go!

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:45 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:46 PM

Whoa!

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:48 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:50 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:50 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:52 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:54 PM

There were 60 "needs" kids we were able to support (there will actually be another event for them next Saturday) - that were not at this event because of the level of support they would've needed from accompanying adults to be here. Fernando made sure we had photos of many of them with us though. Very nice.

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:55 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:57 PM

Time for tamales and champurrado (just hot chocolate this time)....

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:58 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 04:59 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:00 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:01 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:02 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:03 PM

PIÑATA!!!

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:05 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:08 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:09 PM

Ryland's invited to take a swing... LOOK OUT !!!

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:13 PM

And at the last moment, it's LIFTED... and he (barely) knocks a bottom peg off of it to everyone's amusement....

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:14 PM

And THEN it's time for gifts....

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:17 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:18 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:19 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:20 PM

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David K - 1-17-2011 at 05:21 PM

Thanks Doug!

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:21 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:21 PM

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[Edited on 1-18-2011 by BajaNomad]

BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:23 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:23 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:24 PM

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BajaNomad - 1-17-2011 at 05:25 PM

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