Sectur Honours Blue Shirt Volunteers

12 Feb 14 
mazmessenger.com 

The volunteers are comprised of 75 foreign residents and snowbirds.

At a ceremony yesterday at the Mazatlán offices of the Sinaloa Secretary of Tourism (Sectur), tourism secretary Francis Celaya Córdova paid tribute to the 75 members of the Mazatlán Tourist Aide Volunteers (locally known as the “Blue Shirts”) on the third anniversary of the founding of the ad hoc organization.

The organization was initiated by Roger Culbertson, a 25 year resident of Mazatlán, who saw the need for providing information to English speaking visitors to Mazatlán in their own language.

After calling for volunteers from the foreign community, the Blue Shirts began on February 11, 2011 by setting up information booths and sending out roving volunteers to provide information to cruise ship passengers and other tourists in El Centro and the Centro Historico.

Three years later, the group numbers 75 volunteers, many permanent foreigners resident in Mazatlán or snowbirds, who greet plane passengers, cruise ship passengers and national tourists arriving to holiday in the port.

The Secretary congratulated the volunteers on their successful enterprise, pointing out the Blue Shirts are not sponsored by any commercial enterprise and simply wish to ensure visitors to Mazatlán feel at home.

(from Sectur Press Release)