Honored library supporters

Library friends, old and new, are the people who keep Hekab Be going. Here we honor
the Oakleys and the Ratliffs.
Deborah & Bruce Oakley are long-time library supporters who have faithfully and generously supported the library for the past 10 years. Most recently they helped organize the inauguration of a new library collection: the Fred Groves Memorial Collection. HB is very proud of having the honor to house this collection. Fred Groves was a long time resident of Tankah and through the generosity of his widow and the assistance of Deborah and Bruce Oakley, the library now has a fine collection of books on alternative energy sources.

Deobrah (far right in white shirt) and other library friends from Tankah enjoy some smiles and snacks with the kids during the inauguration of the Fred Groves' collection


Bruce (front center, sitting cross-legged), Tankah friends and the library gang take a moment to memorialize the inauguration event.

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Paul & Babs Ratliff are newer library friends, who have put in a lot of time & energy to help keep things in running order around the library by working on building improvements. Most recently they organized the LG toolbox project so that volunteers have what they need to help HB keep things running, and with the help of Babs' sister and brother-in-law, rewired the electricity in the HB annex buildings.

Here's a a brief bio from Paul aka Badger:
My name is Paul (Badger on Locogringo) my wife's name is Babs.
Our first visit to Akumal was in January of 2006 where we met Gary B (Shapeshifter), who was the first person to tell us about the Library and encouraged us to stop by and introduce ourselves to Maggie.
I am a contractor and able to do carpentry, wiring, plumbing, etc., so together with my wife we try to find a project or two to work on at the library whenever we vacation in Akumal.As anyone who has volunteered at the Library can tell you, the work is very rewarding and greatly appreciated.

Badger hard at work making repairs at HB


Badger & Maggie enjoying some down time at the Pescador

2008 wishes

here are some current needs at the library:

All these are items that can be purchased locally (meaning in Playa del Carmen) or if you'd like to donate towards a specific item, just indicate that when you make your donation.

--large plastic storage bins with tops that close tightly. we need these to store our materials without them deteriorating in the humidity or becoming bug infested. at least 6 would be great to have around.

--a ladder (at least 6 ft tall) for our many repairs and improvement projects.

--several brooms, including one for outdoor use.

--rustoleum. we have several metal shelves that were donated to the library which need to be refinished. we plan to sand and paint them and would like to spray them with rustoleum to prevent them from rusting again.

--new computers. by new we mean gently used and not too out of date CPUs. we have monitors and keyboards but all of our CPUs are out of order. battling with humidity is a constant struggle for our computers. have you just upgraded your computer and don't know what to do with your old one? consider bringing it down. or you may contact Maggie or Alice to help you locate someone else coming down who can bring it for you.

Hekab Be also still needs the following:
--gently used clothing for children and teens

--adult vhs tapes and dvd's in Spanish - for learning English, n parenting or other educational topics such as health care, do it yourself, etc......

--volunteers for other improvement projects- painting, repairs, gardening...

--and as always, donations for operating costs. We are back in high season and hope that our donations will pick up but are currently running in deficit after the holidays. Please consider giving, every little bit helps!

December wishes

Holiday Donations & Volunteers needed
We are now preparing for two big upcoming events the Annual Christmas Clothing Bazaar (to be held on Saturday Dec. 15th) and the Annual Christmas Fiesta to be held on Wednesday Dec. 19th: Both of these events require a lot of VOLUNTEER assistance and in the case of the Christmas Fiesta CASH DONATIONS to provide lunch and piñatas. This year´s menu will be Spaghetti, Empanadas, Vegetable Salad and Cake. Costs for these food items will be around $2,500 (mx). We anticipate at least 100 kids and about 40 adults. Every child receives a wrapped Christmas present given to them by Santa Claus (Santa Bart Smith of Turtle Bay Bakery).

Help a child in need-- Eric Fund
At present we have a dire need of sponsorship for a 3 -1/2 year old mentally retarded boy named Eric. The library (with some local assistance) has been contributing $200 pesos a week for him to take the bus (with his mother) to Playa del Carmen and attend special classes 3 times a week – the costs covers tuition and transportation.
His Mother recently informed me that he was accepted to attend the school daily – now requiring double the expenses = $400 pesos per week. If anyone can help with this endeavor (either partially or in full) please do not hesitate to contact us or donate via PayPal (If using Paypal be sure to specify ‘Eric fund’ in the paypal form so we can track those donations.)