Many Canadians travel to Mexico in February, eager to escape our harsh winters.
Most go for the beaches and the sunshine, but 13 high school students from the Humboldt area are heading to sunny Cuernavaca with social justice on their minds.
They're part of Team Mexico, a group organized by the Westminster United Church and supported by Quest Mexico, a non-government organization run by Gerardo Debbink, a former Canadian dairy farmer who has lived in Mexico since 1988. Groups from the Humboldt area have previously traveled to Mexico on humanitarian missions in 2007 and 2010.
Next year's trip has been in the works for well over a year now and fundraising is in its final stages, to be capped off with a concert at the church by Saskatchewan native Jeffrey Straker on Sept. 29. at 7:30 p.m.
Straker was approached about coming to Humboldt by Allison Sarauer, whose daughter Diana will soon become the third of her children to be a part of Team Mexico; a son, Nicholas, went in 2007 and a daughter Kathryn in 2010.
Many of the kids who travel to Mexico have never come face to face with such extreme poverty before and it can be an eye-opening experience.
"I remember Kathryn said, 'My room is as big as the house I built,'" Sarauer said. "The trip is really about educating the kids and making them better citizens."
Sarauer added that one of the most difficult things the kids will have to deal with when they get back from the trip are feelings of guilt or remorse.
"Gerardo always says the hardest part is reconciling with your way of life when you get back home," she said.
Of course, the kids would never even get the chance to come home from the trip if it wasn't for the months of fundraising they've organized. Whether it was a steak supper or pancake breakfast there have been countless events to raise the necessary money.
The crown jewel of those efforts could be the Straker concert, which Sarauer hopes will raise up to $5,000.
Born in Punnichy, Straker maintains a home in Regina and strong connections with his home province.
"I sometimes adjust my set list based on where I'm playing," he said by phone from Toronto, his other home base, "but my songs based on Saskatchewan always work better there. There's something very personal about it."
Straker has played a couple of shows in Humboldt before and was luckily able to squeeze the show into an already busy tour schedule.
"I've really appreciated the audience response I've gotten before in Humboldt," he said. "It should be a fun show and of course it's for a great cause."
There are 200 tickets available for the Straker show, priced at $20. They can be purchased from a member of Team Mexico or at Shoppers Drug Mart in Humboldt.
The Team Mexico trip will take place Feb. 8-22, 2014. The 13 students going on the trip (to be accompanied by three chaperones) are:
Taylor Bley (Annaheim)
Remington Rohel (Annaheim)
Zachary Rohel (Annaheim)
Diana Sarauer (Annaheim)
Heather Martin (Middle Lake)
Amy Martin (Middle Lake)
Taylor Hauesler (Humboldt)
Avery Dillabough (Saskatoon)
Ashton Johnston (Humboldt)
Danielle Wuchner (Humboldt)
Landon Selinger (Humboldt)
Connor Guillet (Humboldt)
Harris Ford (Humboldt)
