American Citizens Services receives 2025 Cherry Pie Award

The 157th Cherry Pie Festival and Annual Meeting was held Thursday night at the US Ambassador's Residence, hosted by Chargé d'Affaires Mark C. Johnson. Executive Director Aliki Elias and 2nd Vice President Doug Hall presented the 2025 Cherry Pie Award to the staff of American Citizens Services at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. The award was accepted by Lauren Santa, chief of American Citizens Services, and Consul General Scott Renner,

President Bill Biese reported that the society is in strong financial condition. Elias said that ABS delivered more than 5,000 services to Americans in need in 2024. 1st Vice President Frances Huttanus announced the slate of board members for 2025. We were honored to have with us the director general of the ABC Hospital, Ing. José María Zubiría. At the end of the event everyone enjoyed Cherry Pie and ice cream in honor of our first president.

FULL TEXT OF THE CHERRY PIE AWARD PRESENTATION

In 1963, the American Benevolent Society presented the

very first Cherry Pie Volunteer Award to Mr. and Mrs.

Hugh Rose. Since then, this prestigious

recognition—honoring extraordinary dedication and

service to others—has been awarded to deserving

individuals and organizations.

For many years, our 2025 recipient has been a steadfast

partner in our mission of helping Americans in need in

Mexico City. They stand beside us and are always ready

to lend a hand, often above and beyond their own scope

of work.

They are a lifeline—always just a phone call away, ready

to assist at a moment’s notice. As resourceful problem-

solvers, they tackle even the most complex challenges

with determination and skill. They are champions of our

mission, consistently going above and beyond to support

our work and those we serve. True partners, they stand

with us to resolve even the most difficult cases. Most

importantly, they are the first call in times of crisis—the

ones our citizens turn to when they need help the most.

Some examples of this partnership include the American

citizen who, trapped in an abusive situation, needed help

returning to the safety of her home and family in the U.S.

Or the American citizen whose passport was so damaged

that she couldn’t use it as official identification to access

her hard-earned money, requiring an emergency

passport. Or the joint effort to ensure that an American

infant, who suffered burns on 90% of her body, could be

transported home to receive critical medical care. Or the

countless Americans passing through Mexico who find

themselves without money, shelter or documents who

need someone to talk to them and explain their options.

These are just a few cases that come to mind, but

throughout our long history, there have been countless

moments where our collaboration has been vital in

fulfilling our mission—A community organization

dedicated to helping Americans in need.

But let me be clear—this honor is not for just one

individual. It belongs to an entire team of exceptional

professionals whose dedication, compassion, and

teamwork make a profound difference in the lives of so

many.

So please join us in extending our heartfelt

congratulations to this year’s Cherry Pie Award recipient:

American Citizens Services at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico

City. They are truly unsung heroes.