In solidarity with the thousands of Mexican families who are struggling to overcome the ravages of one of the worst flood crises in the nation’s history, the Chapala Red Cross and Ajijic’s Restaurant La Bodega are co-sponsoring a special event to put pesos into the kitty for storm relief efforts.
Under the slogran “Es Hora de Ayudar-It’s Time to Help” La Bodega will be offering an all-day special menu on Tuesday, October 8, Noon to 10 p.m., with the full price of the dinner going to the Cruz Roja fund for aid to flood victims.
The restaurant will be serving Pollo La Bodega (grilled chicken bathed in mushroom gravy) with scalloped potatoes and green salad on the side in lieu of the regular a la carte menu. An alternate main dish of vegetarian lasagne will also be available by advance order.
Every centavo of the 105 peso per person food bill will be set aside for humanitarian aid. Drinks are not included in the price, but savings obtained from the sale of beer and sodas donated by local Tecate and Coca Cola distributors will likewise go to the cause.
Bodega proprietors Martha Bonilla and Javier Gonzalez are pleased to report that a number of their suppliers have also agreed to contribute ingredients for the meal at no cost. Various lakeside businesses are chipping in gift certificates and merchandise that will be up for grabs as raffle prizes and several local musicians will give their time and talent for a live entertainment program starting at 6:30 p.m.
“As we grasped the magnitude of the disaster from watching news reports of T.V. we realized that so many of our Mexican compatriots need a helping hand to recuperate and move forward. We felt compelled to do something,” Gonzalez says.
The couple are no strangers to this sort of philanthropy. They previously threw fund raisers to support victims of both the 2007 landslide disaster in San Juan Cosala and Haiti’s brutal 2010 earthquake.
Folks who would like to get in on the good food-good feeling Time to Help benefit are asked to book reservations to facilitate smooth service and avoid over-crowding during peak meal time hours. Call 766-1002 or stop by La Bodega ahead of time at 16 de Septiembre 124 on Ajijic’s east end. The restaurant will be closed as usual on Monday, but Javier or Martha will be on the premises most of the day to pick up the phone. They also welcome additional items for the list of raffle prizes.