Mérida, Yucatán, June 26, 2025 — As part of its twentieth anniversary, the Bepensa Foundation celebrated two decades of commitment to social, environmental, and community well-being with the inauguration of the Multipurpose Court Dome in the Bepensa Garden. This new covered space will allow for more physical, recreational, and social activities year-round, benefiting thousands of users of this emblematic green space in the city.
The Bepensa Garden, inaugurated in 2008 as part of Bepensa's 60th anniversary, is today a symbol of sustainability and community in Mérida. Since its opening, it has been renovated to include a bike path, a children's play area, outdoor exercise equipment, and now a covered court with solar lighting, reaffirming its mission as a meeting point to promote health, inclusion, and coexistence.
During the commemorative event, Margarita Ponce Díaz, President of the Bepensa Foundation, highlighted the Foundation's evolution over the past 20 years and the positive impact it has generated in the region.
"With the inauguration of this dome to benefit the users of the Bepensa Garden, today we celebrate 20 years since the founding of the Bepensa Foundation. Twenty years of commitment and passion, transforming lives and caring for the environment. From its very beginning, the Foundation had a very clear objective: to improve the standard of living of the people who live in the communities where Bepensa operates."
In her speech, the Mayor of Mérida, Cecilia Patrón Laviada, recognized the regional impact of the Bepensa Foundation's work and the value of this space for community life. She noted that the Bepensa Garden is a landmark in the city, not only for its design and facilities, but also for being a vibrant space that promotes coexistence and the health of Mérida families. She also highlighted the role of private sector initiatives as an ally in developing a more equitable municipality with a better quality of life.
"The Bepensa Garden is an example for the entire city, because here you can come and enjoy the birds singing, you can walk, you can exercise, you can come with your daughters and sons to enjoy a space for socializing. This public space is something extraordinary that all families can take advantage of," the mayor expressed.
Patrón Laviada emphasized that the anniversary of the Bepensa Foundation represents much more than a celebration; it reflects a company's ongoing commitment to its social and environmental surroundings.
“Twenty years may seem easy to say, but it's a lot of hours of love, work, and dedication. We're very happy to be able to celebrate these 20 years with you, and I hope there will be many more, and that these programs continue to exist because they are comprehensive. We can see the physical activity, but also the support for people with disabilities, for children, and for the environment; here we can see the sum of everyone's efforts and talent,” he added.
Under Ponce Díaz's leadership, over the past five years, the Bepensa Foundation has consolidated and expanded programs that are now a national benchmark in social impact. "Actívate+" has grown from 40 to 55 active community parks, benefiting more than 142,000 people annually. "Día B" provides care and self-care to more than 300 people with chronic illnesses in communities in the interior of the state of Yucatán. "ReQPET" has prevented up to 580,000 kilograms of PET from entering the environment annually, and the "Cenote Sanitation" program has cleaned more than 70 bodies of water in the region. "Ser Grande" has doubled its educational outreach, currently supporting 220 girls and boys in 11 schools across the country. "Regalove," a program born during the COVID-19 pandemic, now supports more than 50 social organizations. Added to this are the reforestation, coastal cleanup, and public park rehabilitation campaigns promoted and integrated by Bepensa's corporate volunteering, strengthening positive social impact and collective awareness.
"This legacy would not be possible without the tireless dedication of the entire Bepensa Foundation team, without the guidance of our board members, without the trust of our authorities, and without the support of our strategic allies. And of course, without the participation of each beneficiary," said Ponce Díaz.
The 20th anniversary celebration was also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the future.
“Looking to the future, at the Bepensa Foundation, we are convinced that we will continue to strengthen the social fabric with innovative projects, sustainable partnerships, and a broader vision of environmental responsibility,” he concluded.
The Bepensa Foundation thus reaffirms its vision of continuing to be a driving force of positive change for Mexican communities, uniting and sowing hope for future generations.
Also present at the presidium were Andrés Zentella Ortega, director of corporate affairs at Bepensa; Carlos Martín Briceño, director of the Bepensa Foundation; Sergio Martínez Loeza, director of administration and finance at the Yucatán State Sports Institute (IDEY); María de la Cruz Cortés Pineda, representative of the "Actívate+" program; Nelly Cantón Méndez, representative of the special club "Ayelem" AC; and Sonia Chan Correa, representative of the Vasco de Quiroga school from the "Ser Grande" program.
