Dear Sir,
I have known Steve Balfour for five years as Casa del Sol houses the artists for the Concerts in the Park.
In these years I have seen the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) grow and expand in ever creative ways, including the new Casa Linda restaurant with the lovely adjacent koi pond now visible, new restrooms, expansion for art on the lake side of the property, greater collaboration with the Mexican community, to name just a few areas.
During Covid, the Lake Chapala Society was at risk of closing its doors since its services could not be accessed. Steve wrote fund-raising appeals which raised over 2.5 million pesos. And to get through the lean years of Covid he began the concerts. To dispel one rumor: 100 percent of the funds from the Concerts in the Park go to LCS or other non-profits such as Cruz Roja, Ninos Incapacitados and the Food Bank. Additionally, Steve pays out of his own pocket for each of these concerts. (Nor does he personally make money from the café.)
To dispel another rumor: The children’s art programs will all continue, and the monthly art exhibitions are all on the calendar.
LCS may not exist today if it were not for Steve Balfour’s leadership and fund-raising capabilities. The concerts and events are one of the largest sources of the LCS income.
I have known hm to be a levelheaded businessman and a person of great integrity. I consider it to be an honor to be a supporter of his great work and of LCS.
Elizabeth Shepard,
Casa del Sol Inn