Good Works Gazette – March 2026

Lake Chapala Shrine Club A.C.

Most people recognize a Shriner when they see one. The red fez. The parades. The tiny cars. And many people have heard of Shriners Children’s Hospitals, though fewer could say exactly what they do or how they work. Fewer still know that right here at Lake Chapala we have one of the most active and hands-on Shrine Clubs in Mexico.

For more than 20 years, the Lake Chapala Shrine Club A.C., which operates under the umbrella of the Anezeh Shriners of Mexico City, has served the children of our Lakeside community. The club goes to great lengths to identify children who need care. They go to perhaps even greater lengths to help process the vast amount of paperwork required to get a child approved for care in the Shrine network of clinics and hospitals. They are on the ground, in the community, making sure children get the help they need.

This work begins locally. Physicians throughout the Lakeside area are well aware of the Shrine Club and regularly refer children with serious medical conditions. The club also works closely with Niños Incapacitados and Rotary Club of Chapala Sunrise, two well-respected local organizations, to identify families who have no access to specialized care. While Shriners Hospitals focus on specific pediatric conditions, these collaborations allow Lake Chapala Shrine Club to make sure that children with heart, kidney, and other serious medical conditions are connected with appropriate care.

Shriners Hospitals specialize in treating complex pediatric conditions, including orthopedic disorders such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hip dysplasia, and limb differences. They also treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, cleft lip and palate, severe burns, and other conditions requiring long-term rehabilitation or reconstructive care.

Depending on the child’s needs, treatment may take place at the Shrine Clinic in Guadalajara, the Shriners Hospital in Mexico City, or, when burns are severe, the internationally recognized burn center in Galveston, Texas. The clinic in Guadalajara, founded in May of 2024, has allowed the group to help more children as transportation costs are greatly reduced.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Shriners’ mission is that families are never charged for medical care. Treatment is provided regardless of ability to pay, supported entirely by donations, endowments, and fundraising efforts. For families facing overwhelming medical challenges, this alone can be life changing. There is, however, one critical piece not covered by the hospital system: transportation.

This is where the Lake Chapala Shrine Club becomes indispensable. Once a child is accepted for treatment, the club takes responsibility for arranging transportation for both the child and their parents or guardians. Flights or bus travel are organized locally, with travel expertly handled by Viajes Ajijic S.A. de C.V. The logistics may sound simple, but for families already under stress, this assistance can make the difference between receiving care and going without.

The funds for this travel come entirely from local fundraising. Events such as the club’s 19th Annual Ribfest, taking place March 3 and 4, are not just social gatherings, they are the engine that allows children to reach life-changing medical treatment.

One story in particular captures the impact of the Lake Chapala Shrine Club’s work. Born without ears, Christian Alejandro de la Cruz Hernández was pronounced profoundly and irreparably deaf. His mother, Eliza Hernández, refused to accept that verdict. When Christian was three, Eliza was introduced to Shriner Graham Paull and his wife, Sheila. Through their advocacy, Christian was approved for surgery in October 2012.

Months of preparation followed: medical records gathered, passports and visas secured, documents translated. In early 2013, Christian, now four, traveled with his parents and younger brother to Montreal for what became a seven-week ordeal far from home.

Christian returned to Mexico with dual cochlear implants, able to hear for the first time and beginning to speak. All travel and lodging were covered by Shriners in Chapala, with support from fellow Shriners in Calgary, Winnipeg, and Montreal. Now 17, Christian is a strong student looking ahead to adulthood. His story is a powerful reminder that behind every fundraiser and every mile traveled is a life transformed.

If you would like to support our Lake Chapala Shrine Club, you can contact Bernie St. Louis, President at LCShrineClub@proton.me

Good Works Gazette features a different local group doing good work in our community each month. If you would like to nominate a group to be featured, please email Daria Hilton at editorelojodellago@gmail.com.