Dominical Community Celebrates Gringo Independence Day
with 2nd Annual Baru River Float
On Saturday, July 6, the community of Dominical held its 2nd Annual Baru River Float in celebration of Gringo Independence Day. This two-day fundraising event benefited the local Costa Ballena Lifeguard Association. Day one featured an interactive river float, while day two offered a family fair complete with BBQ, live music, and games.
The festivities began at 10 a.m., with 17 teams entering the Baru River. Each team received four 55-gallon drums to create their unique float, judged on creativity and craftsmanship. This year’s floats included Hungry Monkeys tossing bananas, a crocodile gobbling up competitors, groovy disco pirates, off-roading Barbie’s Jeep, the Greek Parthenon, a Choco Choo train, a luxury speedboat, a traditional carreta, a lifeguard tower, and many other imaginative rafts.
Spectators lined the riverbank, cheering on the teams. The event culminated in a large celebration featuring music, food, and drinks to welcome the participants and congratulate them on a successful float.
Day two transformed into a lively family fair held on the lawn of Fuego Brewing Co. in the heart of Dominical. Upon entering the fair, attendees were immediately drawn to the live music and the whimsical atmosphere created by floating bubbles. It was a beautifully sunny day, with plenty of shaded spots to relax and enjoy the festivities. Volunteers operated the popular lifeguard margarita stand alongside Fuego craft beer, serving delicious slow-roasted pork with traditional sides. Games offering prizes entertained both adults and children, with cornhole, Hungry Monkeys, and ring toss, as onlookers remained captivated by the large bubbles drifting skyward.
Organizers extend their gratitude to all participants and volunteers who made the 2nd Gringo Independence Day Fundraiser a success: Costa Rica Explorer for ensuring the safety of the river float; chefs Mike and Sean for their generous donations of food and time; Fuego Brewing Co. for providing the venue; the musicians who donated their talents; the bubble man for his magical display; photographers Martina and Abe Healer for their incredibly talented contributions; and the lifeguards for their dedication to protecting the beaches.
The Costa Ballena Lifeguard Program relies on donations from the community and visiting tourists. If you would like to help keep the program running, please consider making a donation—every contribution makes a difference! Thank you!
Spring 2024  The Asociacion de Guardavidas de Zona Sur is a Costa Rican ‘fin de lucro’ business made up of volunteers. It was created as the first public-private partnership in Costa Rica and its purpose is to manage the funding of the lifeguard program in Dominical and Playa Hermosa de Uvita.During Semana Santa 2024 there were 420 preventions, 4 aquatic rescues, 1 sting ray treatment, and 0 drownings. News & EventsContract with Municipality de Osa: To date, the Municipality of Osa has not issued an official call for offers on a lifeguard agreement for the next year. Once posted, any lifeguard organization can submit an offer for services. The municipality will be awarding 41 million colones for the year, which would fund the Costa Ballena lifeguards’ salaries yet leaves no additional funding for administrative expenses, equipment maintenance, or medical supplies. Donations: Big thanks to Eric Darnas who created a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $3,400 for the lifeguard program. Also, Joel Meeks made a large donation of $5,000. Hotel Cuna del Angel has pledged $100/month. The Bren and the Fava families have pitched in $1,000 each. Below are our current $1/day members: Hotel Rio Lindo, Fuego Brewing Company, Hotel Cuña de Angel,Costa Paraiso, HotelFarMar in Dominical, Tribe Boutique Hotel, Tony Jovanovic / Via de Agua Images, CR Surf Travel Company, Scott Stephens & Out of the Blue, Pineapple Kayak Tours, Bodhi Surf and Yoga, RE/MAX Costa del Sol, Coconut Grove, Costa Verde Surf Shop in Uvita, Susan Strong, Beth Sylver, Coldwell Banker Dominical Office, Dominical Real Estate, Beachhouse Incognito,Costa Rica Real Estate Service,Osa Tropical Properties, Brian Long, On Point Real Estate, Sarah W., Jim and Jane Fava, JJ Properties, Green Leaf Real Estate, Osa Property Management * If you are a $1/member and do not see your name, let us know so we can get the list updated. Annual renewal is requested to stay on the list. Dominical Eco-Feria: Stop by every Friday in Dominical from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We still have some shirts left for sale, plus our 2024 calendars and decals. Find the shirts as well in Dominical in Sunset Surf School next to La Junta Cafe and at the Dominical Surf School. Only $20. Cafe Press Shop: Have you seen the Costa Ballenas Lifeguard shop on Cafe Press? Orders cannot be shipped to Costa Rica, but for friends in the U.S., they can now easily purchase Costa Ballena Lifeguard shirts, hats, cups, and grocery bags. Here is the link – https://www.cafepress.com/shop/costaballenalifeguards4(30.8%) Here are a few of the items listed:  Infrastructure: The portable lifeguard tower in Dominical was repaired and used for the Semana Santa Surf Classic and is available when needed. The door of the lifeguard tower in Dominical is in need of repairs. Ideas on how to make the repairs have been offered but no offers to do the work have been forthcoming. The tower in Playa Hermosa also needs reinforcement of the railing and the rescue pole needs to be refinished. The solar power regulator also needs to be replaced. The beach ATV has been essential in getting to drowning victims faster and guarding a longer section of beach. Its challenge is the high cost for the insurance of the riders and the ATV’s maintenance. The beach environment is deteriorating the engine and body quickly and it may cost over $1,000 to fix correctly. It is another reason why we need donations. Board of Directors: We recently voted in our new board members. Thank you for your dedication – President – Greg Gordon Vice President – Sarah Wofford Treasurer – Yahaira Vega Secretary – Steve Fergus Vocale 1 – Emmanuel Montoya Vocale 2 – Dianna Heim Vocale 3 – Claire O’Brian Vocale 4 – Alejandro Cedras Fiscale – Adrian Quesada Grants: We have submitted two grants in the last month. The first submission was with the Five Together Foundation, who have helped us in the past with funding for our tower in Playa Hermosa and with lifeguard salaries. The second is a larger grant with the IAF (Inter-American Foundation) and could help support and expand our program for the next few years. We will post an update in our next newsletter.    Fundraising Updates4th of July Fundraiser: The float race and party is back! This year, the Dominical race is Saturday, July 6th and a party with bands (and of course, our famous Margarita Bar) will be Sunday, July 7th, along with kids’ games and a silent auction. Sarah’s mother Cassandra will be joining her daughter inorganizing and implementing the event. Cassie has been a strong lifeguard supporter since the program’s inception. During the race there will be hot dogs and beer available at Villas Rio Mar. Volunteers are needed to help with promotion, run the booths, and organize the race. We are also seeking prizes for the silent auction – this is great exposure for your business! Please reach out to Sarah @ lizwofford@gmail.com if you can help. ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2023  Thank you to the Restaurants Donating Meals for the LifeguardsThank you to these restaurants that give lunches to our lifeguards. Le French Café has been donating breakfasts to the lifeguards in Playa Hermosa Thursday to Sunday. Thanks to Cafe Mono Congo for always helping with delicious breakfasts, you are a great example for the Dominical community! In Playa Hermosa: Monday: Mosaic Tuesday: La Licorera Wednesday: Los Laureles Thursday: El Gusto Italiano Friday: Jolly Roger Saturday: Big Bambú Sunday: Pizza Time * We are always searching for volunteers to bring lunches from Uvita to Playa Hermosa. Please send us a note if you can help. And in Dominical: Monday – Hotel Rio Lindo and Tiki bar Tuesday – Del Mar Taco Wednesday – Ricar2 Thursday – Pizza La Casita Friday – Mavi Saturday – La Junta Sunday – Café Delicias Education  How the Moon Affects TidesTides are really all about gravity, and when we’re talking about the daily tides, it’s the moon’s gravity that’s causing them. As Earth rotates, the moon’s gravity pulls on different parts of our planet. Even though the moon only has about 1/100th the mass of Earth, since it’s so close to us, it has enough gravity to move things around. The moon’s gravity even pulls on the land, but not enough for anyone to tell (unless they use special, really precise instruments). When the moon’s gravity pulls on the water in the oceans, however, someone’s bound to notice. Water has a much easier time moving around, and the water wants to bulge in the direction of the moon. This is called the tidal force. Because of the tidal force, the water on the side of the moon always wants to bulge out toward the moon. This bulge is what we call a high tide. As your part of the Earth rotates into this bulge of water, you might experience a high tide. One thing to note, however, is that this is just an explanation of the tidal force—not the actual tides. In real life, the Earth isn’t a global ocean, covered in an even layer of water. There are seven continents, and that land gets in the way. The continents prevent the water from perfectly following the moon’s pull. That’s why in some places, the difference between high and low tide isn’t very big, and in other places, the difference is drastic. The Sun causes tides just like the moon does, although they are somewhat smaller. When the earth, moon, and Sun line up—which happens at times of full moon or new moon—the lunar and solar tides reinforce each other, leading to more extreme tides, called spring tides. When lunar and solar tides act against each other, the result is unusually small tides, called neap tides. There is a new moon or a full moon about every two weeks, so that’s how often we see large spring tides. Use this knowledge to guess what tide it is (high or low) and if it is a spring or neap tide the next time you visit the beach. Knowing how to read tides and waves may one day save your life How You Can Help Volunteer Opportunities Delivery drivers to bring lunches donated by local restaurants in Uvita to the lifeguards in Playa Hermosa. Volunteers in Playa Hermosa to roll out the walkways to the beach for the handicapped at 10 a.m. and roll them back up at 4 p.m.Organizing and participating in a youth lifeguard / fitness program. Organizing and participating in future fundraiser events. Helping to write grant proposals. Helping with our quarterly newsletter. Email – lifeguardscostaballena@gmail.com if you wish to help.DonationsThe Dollar a Day Club – In Memory of Richard Abraham To donate, just follow this LINK0(0%). We will be sure to publicize your contribution on our website, social media pages, and our quarterly newsletter. Without the support of the Costa Ballena community there would not be a lifeguard program keeping our families safe in Dominical and Playa Hermosa. We need your help today for them to keep saving lives tomorrow. 1. Banco Nacional DepositAsoc. Guardavidas de la Zona Surf de Costa Rica Cedula Juridica 3-002-738759 Cuenta en colones: 200-01-195-003885-0 Iban: CR39015119520010038851Cuenta en dollars: 200-02-195-002023-9 Iban: CR450151195200200202372. PayPalYou can make a single or monthly donation using the following LINK0(0%)3. Amigos of Costa RicaA U.S. tax deductible donation to the extent allowed by law through Amigos of Costa Rica – our U.S. non-profit partner. This can also be a monthly donation. Use this link: https://www.classy.org/give/258087/0(0%)  Lifeguard Wish ListThese are the items that the board of directors believe are a priority for the association. Costs are approximate.Upgrade and repairs to Dominical Tower – $1,500New Tower in Dominical – $30,000Repairs and registration for our ATV in Dominical – $1,000A second ATV for Playa Hermosa – $6,000Hiring a fifth and sixth lifeguard – $15,000 eachNew uniforms – $400The lifeguard program will only succeed with the help of our Costa Ballena community. Our heroes need you to be their heroes. In the future it may be your life or one of your loved ones that will need to be rescued. FOLLOW US USING THESE LINKS    Copyright (C) 2024 Asociacion de Salvavidas de Zona Sur Costa Rica. All rights reserved. Asociacion de Salvavidas de Zona Sur Costa RicaSesame St 1 Dominical 04444Costa Rica Add us to your address book Update Preferences | Unsubscribe |