A few months ago, our board member Duffy Crane brought members of the Banco Macro team to The Vines to see the Foundation’s work firsthand. They toured our Dog Rescue Center, learned about our programs, and asked questions about our day to day,
After they saw our work in person, something clicked: they recognized pieces of their own community mission in ours. Before they left, they asked a simple question: how could they get involved?
We immediately said: Children’s Day.
In the weeks that followed, our program director Laura Martorell worked closely with Luis Coloccioni and Victoria from Banco Macro to plan something special for the children.
On August 22, more than a dozen Banco Macro volunteers showed up at Iluminados community kitchen for the afternoon and helped transform the space the children visit every week.: There was target throwing, basketball challenges, puzzles, games that had kids working together and laughing as they figured them out, and animal-shaped balloons floating between stations.
There was so much laughter, music and color that afternoon. The children were thrilled to see their familiar kitchen turned into a place built just for playing, and the volunteers looked just as happy to be there. They played alongside the kids, cheered them on through every game, and made sure no one was left out.
When the games wound down, everyone gathered for hot chocolate, medialunas, and cake. Before heading home, each child left with a pencil case and markers to decorate however they liked, plus candies and a few extra surprises tucked in.
For The Vines Foundation, the day carried an extra layer of meaning: it was the first time a local company or foundation has sponsored one of our events. Banco Macro’s foundation chose the Children’s Day celebration as their initiative for the Cuyo region — and that choice means a great deal to us.
«Having an institutional partner like this is so important. We all know what the needs are, and we’ve been supporting this community for years — but to have somebody else inside the community, with the resources to help these children, is amazing.»
– Duffy Crane
None of this would exist without the people who backed it before it even took shape. Last year, through Fund a Need during Gifts for Good, Jay Hawthorn, Marc Thiery, Caroline Pallat, and Scott Dubois funded the games and activities that fill afternoons like this one at the community kitchens. Monaghan’s family gift was earmarked specifically for this year’s Children’s Day.
That generosity doesn’t stop at Iluminados. Next week, the Foundation brings Children’s Day to the four remaining community kitchens, with a circus show as the centerpiece—made possible by those same donors, alongside the gifts Banco Macro contributed.
To Banco Macro, its Foundation, and the volunteers who spent the day playing, laughing, and sharing with the children, thank you. We are very grateful to have you alongside us.
THANK YOU!
