The Crowd: Cause in Cabo deserves attention
Americans have become somewhat numb to the constant barrage of disasters, natural and manmade, blasted across the media. Sadly, the media seldom follow up on the aftermath. It’s on to the next headline.
Last month in Mexico, Hurricane Odile devastated the coastal resort town of Cabo San Lucas. The damage was reported, but coverage was limited and the event rapidly forgotten. There were other factors at play. Mexican tourist officials did not want to dwell on the conditions, fearing harm to the tourist business, which is vital to the economic survival of the community. Specifically, Cabo is a destination for thousands of Californians and a second home for countless Newport-Mesa residents.
Beyond the luxury hotels, restaurants and clubs, and out of sight of the expensive residential real estate covering the seaside hills above the harbor, Cabo embraces a large working-class population. Poverty remains a challenge there, as it does in many parts of Mexico.
The obfuscated truths are simple. Hurricane Odile wiped out much of the region. The town and its residents do not have the resources to rebuild, not without assistance. Some help will come from government sources and more from the big-business owners of the resort hotels. Yet thousands of people will face survival without proper, safe and clean shelter and sufficient food, water and the opportunity to make a living.
Allison Suter, a Newport Beach nutritionist and fitness expert, is championing this need. Suter, known to Newport-Mesa exercise buffs as one of the high-energy instructors at Studio Cycle in Corona del Mar, is joining with friend and client Keri Wilson, who made the cause very personal.
Wilson’s grandmother, Shirley Wilson, lives full-time in Cabo. She was scheduled for surgery two days before the storm. Wilson had traveled to Cabo to be with her grandmother for the operation. When the storm hit, Shirley and Keri were trapped in the hospital for five days without food or water. Finally rescued, Keri and her grandmother have dedicated themselves to helping others less fortunate.
Reaching out to Suter, the pair contacted an established nonprofit in Cabo called Cabo Hurricane Fund, which has a strong reputation for aiding women and children in particular. To raise needed funds for the local charity, Wilson and Suter are rallying the troops in Orange County, planning two fundraisers.
First up on Nov. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the pair will host a two-hour spin class where each bike will be reserved for a $100 donation. Studio Cycle will donate the session, which will be taught by Suter and fellow instructor Jessica Sturges-Ginsburg.
“Every dime will go to help the people of Cabo,” says Suter, adding, “All of the costs of putting on this event will be covered by donors so that all proceeds go where money is needed.”
The second event is planned for Nov. 15. It will be hosted by Five Crowns Restaurant in Corona del Mar from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The gathering will center on a silent auction and a fashion trunk show by Goodsheep.
To make a cycle reservation or attend the Five Crowns party, contact Suter by visiting support.sarahuaro.org/studiocyclecdm or calling (831) 601-5562. To learn more about the nonprofit, please go to https://www.cabohurricanfund.com.
THE CROWD runs Fridays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
