UPDATE IN PROGRESS
Events
There are many border-related events throughout the year that Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans take part in...individually or as a group. To get a flavor of what our biggest event looks like, see the 2020 brochure Common Ground on the Border/Border Issues Fair on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. Another annual event, for which we provide lunch, is the 7-day Migrant Trail Walk at the end of May. We attend forums, presentations, films and productions to inform us on immigration issues throughout the year.
Flood the Desert - July 3, 2021
This year we did get the privilege of seeing a flood in the desert due to the monsoons! Flood the Desert is an annual event celebrating the first Tucson Samaritan desert trip in 2002 to assist migrants in the Southern Arizona desert...and calls upon all humanitarian groups to "flood the desert" offering help to those crossing the desert. On Saturday, July 3, numerous humanitarian groups went out seeking to help migrants. We met up at a volunteer's house to join in our combined efforts to support all persons seeking better lives. Eventually, there will be a few of our pictures in the Photo Gallery.
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VIRTUAL Common Ground on the Border VIII
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The United States-Mexico borderlands has always been a beautiful mix of culture, language,
cuisine, economies and people. It has also been a place of struggle, high and low temperatures,
a fragile environment and the push and pull of immigration. The Borderlands is the perfect place to explore the arts, touch the culture and have deeper conversations about the complicated issues that collide here.
Common Ground on the Border is presented in partnership with “Common Ground on the Hill.” For over 25
years, Common Ground on the Hill has gathered in Westminster, Maryland and other locations as a multicultural
community of musicians, artists, writers, lecturers, actors and dancers, sharing skills with students of all ages and
with one another. In this way, we believe that we all can improve ourselves, our communities and our world as we
meet, share and celebrate our arts and cultures on “common ground.”
This year we are again combining two popular events - Common Ground on the Border and the Annual Santa Cruz Valley Border Issues Fair and Concert - giving space for people to participate in the entire experience or just parts of it. While the current health crisis presents challenges, it also offers opportunities for us to reimagine Common Ground on the Border as a completely online event, and provides an opportunity for more participation from those who don't want to travel. Register here.
Flood the Desert - June 27, 2020
This is the annual commemoration of the Tucson Samaritans' first trip to the desert made on 7/2/2002. The Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans were founded in 2005. On June 29, 2020 we flooded the desert with volunteers, water, food and medical supplies in order to prevent deaths and relieve suffering. Last year our two groups met up in Arivaca where we renewed our bonds and strengthened our common purpose. We were unable to do that this year due to the coronovirus pandemic. We did meet up with friends from other humanitarian organizations as we drove the desert roads. Here are some photos.
Arivaca Friends
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Border Wall Construction
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Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans
17th Annual Migrant Trail Walk - May 25 to May 31, 2020
A Virtual Effort to Bear Witness to Migrant Deaths and Border Injustice
For 17 years a group of committed individuals have gathered to call for an end to migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border. Since 2004, every May, hundreds of participants have embarked on a week-long, 75-mile walk from Sásabe, Sonora, Mexico to Tucson, Arizona to call for an end to migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border and to stand in solidarity with victims of global migration. This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to physically unite to remember those who have died crossing, but our commitment to supporting migrants and their families remains unchanged. In order to continue to raise awareness about migrant deaths and to help raise money for local border justice organizations, we are launching an alternative Migrant Trail Walk experience to bring people together in a virtual environment.
Since the 1990s, more than 8,000 children, women, and men are known to have died crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2019, 247 deaths were recorded along the U.S.-Mexico Border; 153 human remains were recovered in Southern Arizona. From October 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020, 115 remains have been received by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office in Tucson, AZ. These deaths are the direct result of U.S. border and immigration “deterrence” policies that intentionally divert migrants into isolated and desolate terrains of the borderlands.
Since, 2004, “The Migrant Trail: We Walk for Life” has grown to be a multinational endeavor of allies who hail from diverse regions, faith backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities, and walk together in solidarity with our (im)migrant friends and their families to demand an end to migrant deaths on the border and the criminalization of (im)migration People from all over the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Latin America and Europe have participated in the walk over the years.
The Alternative Migrant Trail will run from May 25-31, 2020. Each day includes informative and inspiring reflections, podcasts and presentations. Here is a link to the week's schedule of activities, where you can learn more about immigration. Website: https://azmigranttrail.com
Since the 1990s, more than 8,000 children, women, and men are known to have died crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2019, 247 deaths were recorded along the U.S.-Mexico Border; 153 human remains were recovered in Southern Arizona. From October 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020, 115 remains have been received by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office in Tucson, AZ. These deaths are the direct result of U.S. border and immigration “deterrence” policies that intentionally divert migrants into isolated and desolate terrains of the borderlands.
Since, 2004, “The Migrant Trail: We Walk for Life” has grown to be a multinational endeavor of allies who hail from diverse regions, faith backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities, and walk together in solidarity with our (im)migrant friends and their families to demand an end to migrant deaths on the border and the criminalization of (im)migration People from all over the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Latin America and Europe have participated in the walk over the years.
The Alternative Migrant Trail will run from May 25-31, 2020. Each day includes informative and inspiring reflections, podcasts and presentations. Here is a link to the week's schedule of activities, where you can learn more about immigration. Website: https://azmigranttrail.com
Alvaro Enciso: Where Dreams Die - Wednesday, March 25, 2020
CANCELLED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC - Alvaro Enciso is an artist, who crafts and delivers crosses commemorating migrants who have died in the desert. He will be speaking about his project, "Where Dreams Die" Wednesday, March 25 at 1:00 PM in the Parish Hall of St. Francis in the Valley Episcopal Church, 600 S. La Cañada Drive, Green Valley.
Child Detention Center Documentary and Remain in Mexico Talk - Friday, February 28, 2020
The documentary "Witness at Tornillo" is about Josh Rubin whose actions lead to the closure of the Tornillo child detention center near El Paso, TX. It will be shown on Feb. 28, 2020 at the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ in Sahuarita at 6:00 pm.
Green Valley residents Carrell, Marty and Kathy have just returned from weeks in Brownsville/Matamoros where they have witnessed the Remain in Mexico policy firsthand. They will share their experiences and lead a Q&A after the movie. Here is the trailer to the movie.
Green Valley residents Carrell, Marty and Kathy have just returned from weeks in Brownsville/Matamoros where they have witnessed the Remain in Mexico policy firsthand. They will share their experiences and lead a Q&A after the movie. Here is the trailer to the movie.
Education and Action Regarding Migration - Friday, January 31, 2020
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Three events not to miss in Tucson Friday, January 31
1:00 pm – Forum: Asylum Journeys - Updates from Mexico, Central America and the US Border
4:30 pm – Protest: Remain in Mexico Program - Federal Building, 300 W. Congress, Tucson
1:00 pm – Forum: Asylum Journeys - Updates from Mexico, Central America and the US Border
- Marshall Bldg, 845 N. Park Ave. Rm 340, Tucson (refreshments at 12:30pm)
- Delle McCormick (Casa Alitas), Katie Sharar (Kino Border Initiative) and Elizabeth Oglesby (UA Latin American Studies)
- This public forum will give updates on the conditions asylum seekers and migrants face as they make the dangerous journey through Mexico. We will discuss the impacts of the “Remain in Mexico” program, which is now returning asylum seekers to Nogales, Sonora. And we will discuss the Trump administration’s new policies of sending asylum seekers to Guatemala, as well as the court challenge.
4:30 pm – Protest: Remain in Mexico Program - Federal Building, 300 W. Congress, Tucson
Common Ground On The Border/Border Issues Fair January 16-18, 2020
The United States-Mexico borderlands has always been a beautiful mix of culture, language,
cuisine, economies and people. It has also been a place of struggle, high and low temperatures,
a fragile environment and the push and pull of immigration.
The Borderlands is the perfect place to explore the arts, touch the culture and have deeper
conversations about the complicated issues that collide here.
On Friday and Saturday afternoons, we will have 20 different music, art, writing, and dance
classes in the seventh Common Ground on the Border program.
On Saturday morning, we will be presenting the 17th Annual Border Issues Fair with stimulating
national and international scholars and activists sharing their perspectives on our current
border and immigration crisis.
In addition, there will be field trips to the border and into the desert on Thursday. And, of
course, there will be dynamic concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.
Download the brochure. Register here.
cuisine, economies and people. It has also been a place of struggle, high and low temperatures,
a fragile environment and the push and pull of immigration.
The Borderlands is the perfect place to explore the arts, touch the culture and have deeper
conversations about the complicated issues that collide here.
On Friday and Saturday afternoons, we will have 20 different music, art, writing, and dance
classes in the seventh Common Ground on the Border program.
On Saturday morning, we will be presenting the 17th Annual Border Issues Fair with stimulating
national and international scholars and activists sharing their perspectives on our current
border and immigration crisis.
In addition, there will be field trips to the border and into the desert on Thursday. And, of
course, there will be dynamic concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.
Download the brochure. Register here.
Binational Migrant Posada in Nogales, Sonora December 14, 2019
Joseph and Mary
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The Procession
At the end of the journey, all are invited to dine at El Comedor.
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On Saturday, December 14, over 350 people celebrated the bi-national migrant posada in Nogales, Sonora. KBI and Dioceses Without Borders coordinated the annual event, which included faith leaders, volunteers, migrants, and local residents. The posada is a reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s struggle to find hospitality as they searched for a place to give birth to their son, Jesus. At the event, the community processed through the streets of Nogales, Sonora with Mary and Joseph and through prayer, song, and testimony recalled how their spiritual and historical example guides us to solidarity with modern-day migrants.
Two Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans were moved by the event. Jan spoke with "two mothers with children walking at Las posadas who were Asylum Seekers. One from Chiapas and the other from Michoacan...They were very warmly dressed and well-spoken and the children were very animated but well behaved." Ellen was taken with the inclusivity of the posada..."it was a walk with Mary and Joseph, donkey and Angel from the point of view of immigrants...It was very moving to hear the songs asking for shelter with so many people doing the real-life same journey."
Two Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans were moved by the event. Jan spoke with "two mothers with children walking at Las posadas who were Asylum Seekers. One from Chiapas and the other from Michoacan...They were very warmly dressed and well-spoken and the children were very animated but well behaved." Ellen was taken with the inclusivity of the posada..."it was a walk with Mary and Joseph, donkey and Angel from the point of view of immigrants...It was very moving to hear the songs asking for shelter with so many people doing the real-life same journey."
Lights For Liberty July 12, 2019
More than 300 assembled in downtown Tucson on Friday night as part of Lights for Liberty, a nationwide protest against the treatment of migrants in federal detention facilities and immigration raids planned by the Trump administration. Robin Reineke from Colibrí talks of her work honoring those who have died in the desert due to other cruel policies of our government. Photos of some of those disappeared are shown on stage. |
Here is a link to Paul Ingram's article with photos about Tucson's Lights for Liberty. There were 12 Lights for Liberty gatherings in Arizona. Many Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans attended.
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Flood The Desert June 29, 2019
Tucson Samaritans has provided humanitarian service on the Arizona desert for nearly two decades. This is the annual commemoration of the Tucson Samaritans' first trip to the desert made on 7/2/2002. The Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans were founded in 2005.
We Samaritans celebrate each person we have met crossing the desert and how each of them has changed our lives. On June 29, 2019 we flooded the desert with volunteers, water, food and medical supplies in order to prevent deaths. Our two groups met up in Arivaca where we renewed our bonds and strengthened our common purpose. Here are some photos.
We Samaritans celebrate each person we have met crossing the desert and how each of them has changed our lives. On June 29, 2019 we flooded the desert with volunteers, water, food and medical supplies in order to prevent deaths. Our two groups met up in Arivaca where we renewed our bonds and strengthened our common purpose. Here are some photos.
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Annual Migrant Walk May 30, 2019 8:30am - 4:00pm
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One of the extra commitment activities that the Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans participates in is to be part of the support team for the Migrant Trail Walk led by Brother David Buer, ofm. This 70 mile, 7 day grueling, desert walk is done annually the last week of May across the Sonoran Desert from just south of the US/Mexico border north to Tucson through the Sonoran Desert. Usually, 60 - 70 people from all over the US and, some years, the world, commit to participation in this walk to physically and spiritually honor those who have traveled this way in search of a new life and to memorialize those who have died. It is a very emotional and spiritually renewing experience for the participants.
Over the years, several of our GVS Samaritans have, themselves, participated in this migrant trail walk. Their stories are very moving to hear. The GVS Samaritans’s role in this adventure has been for 15+ years to provide the walkers with a mid-day meal on Thursday—their fifth day out — at their Thursday night camp destination. We bring sandwiches, salads, yummy sweets, and all the chips, veggies and trimmings that go with these things. And, of course, gallons of cold water and lemonade! It takes between 10-15 strong and sturdy Samaritans with trucks and vans and SUVs to pull off the actual day with coolers, ice, tables, tents, etc. It takes about the same number of Samaritans members to make all the food donations and have them properly wrapped for transport. The day is long and hot — usually 8:30 — 4:00. But, for everyone the adventure is interesting and meaningful and much of the time just fun. - Marilyn Kern 
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Our Border Town - A Local Docudrama Starting April 25, 2019
Our Border Town: A New Play by Amy Almquist
Co-Directors: Art Almquist and Julian Martinez
Produced by Tucson High Magnet School Performing Arts
Contact: Art Almquist. (520) 225-5326, [email protected].
OUR BORDER TOWN is a groundbreaking new multimedia play concerning the divisive border crisis that continues to unfold in our own backyard. This world premiere docudrama is crafted from interviews with members of the Tucson, Green Valley and Arivaca, Arizona communities. Using their real names, these people live and work in or have travelled through our border region. Among the many represented are four Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans: Rowland and Judy VanEs, Paul Nixon and Laurel Grinde! Other Tucsonans include the Rev. John Fife, artist & anthropologist Alvaro Enciso, Mexican-born American business owner Luz Demay, entrepreneur Rocio Calderon, and many more. By sharing their divergent points of view, spoken with their own words, OUR BORDER TOWN creates a collage of perspectives about the personal impact of this crisis, and poses the question: Can we even begin to solve it? OUR BORDER TOWN is a compassionate and very human apolitical play that investigates the massive effect on a people and a community when divided by barriers, both real and figurative.
This WORLD PREMIERE play brought to life by the students of Tucson High Magnet School’s nationally recognized, multiple award-winning theatre program is an event not to be missed.
April 25 – 27, May 2 – 4, 9, and 11 @ 7:00 PM & May 11 @ 2:00 PM
Buy and reserve tickets online: www.tucsonhightheatre.com
$18/$15 students & staff of any school, and seniors 65+
Information: 520-225-5326
Tucson High Magnet School Little Theatre
400 N. 2nd Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
Co-Directors: Art Almquist and Julian Martinez
Produced by Tucson High Magnet School Performing Arts
Contact: Art Almquist. (520) 225-5326, [email protected].
OUR BORDER TOWN is a groundbreaking new multimedia play concerning the divisive border crisis that continues to unfold in our own backyard. This world premiere docudrama is crafted from interviews with members of the Tucson, Green Valley and Arivaca, Arizona communities. Using their real names, these people live and work in or have travelled through our border region. Among the many represented are four Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans: Rowland and Judy VanEs, Paul Nixon and Laurel Grinde! Other Tucsonans include the Rev. John Fife, artist & anthropologist Alvaro Enciso, Mexican-born American business owner Luz Demay, entrepreneur Rocio Calderon, and many more. By sharing their divergent points of view, spoken with their own words, OUR BORDER TOWN creates a collage of perspectives about the personal impact of this crisis, and poses the question: Can we even begin to solve it? OUR BORDER TOWN is a compassionate and very human apolitical play that investigates the massive effect on a people and a community when divided by barriers, both real and figurative.
This WORLD PREMIERE play brought to life by the students of Tucson High Magnet School’s nationally recognized, multiple award-winning theatre program is an event not to be missed.
April 25 – 27, May 2 – 4, 9, and 11 @ 7:00 PM & May 11 @ 2:00 PM
Buy and reserve tickets online: www.tucsonhightheatre.com
$18/$15 students & staff of any school, and seniors 65+
Information: 520-225-5326
Tucson High Magnet School Little Theatre
400 N. 2nd Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705