In solidarity with families affected by the recent earthquake in Chiapas and Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta Mayor Arturo Dávalos Peña announced the city council would be canceling the annual Grito de Independencia dinner.
The resources budgeted for the traditional dinner event celebrating Mexico’s Independence will be used for the purchase of necessities and food to be sent victims of the earthquake.
The Mayor called upon his counterparts in other cities to join Puerto Vallarta and provide donations to support families in need. Likewise, the Mayor encouraged the general public to show solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Chiapas and Oaxaca by offering any support possible. Collection centers authorized by the municipal DIF system are established and all Starbucks in Mexico are operating as drop-off centers.
The earthquake off southern Mexico killed at least 91 people, damaged tens of thousands of homes and afflicted upwards of two million people in the poorer southern states of Mexico.
The quake struck at 11:49 p.m. Thursday. Its epicenter was 102 miles (165 kilometers) west of Tapachula in Chiapas, with a depth of 43.3 miles (69.7 kilometers), the USGS said.
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