Gonzalo "Reds" Lara

    Reds was born in the beautiful fishing village of Xcalak, Mexico, just a short distance from Ambergris Caye. His parents Leonor and Benigno Lara were originally from San Pedro and left to work in Xcalak until Reds was six years old. His family then returned to San Pedro, and he remembers growing up here was very fun, including school, where he would meet with his friends. He attended San Pedro Roman Catholic School for a few years and then had to move to Belize City when his father was hired to work in a lumber yard. There he attended Holy Redeemer School until the age of 12, leaving to go to work because of the family's financial needs.

    Reds eventually returned to San Pedro and immediately went to work. Most of the men of that time would either fish for a living or work in a cocal (coconut plantation). Reds opted for the second choice and went to work for one of the cocal owners. He was an ideal worker, picking and husking 3000 coconuts a day for a salary of only $30 per month. He worked in this industry for a little over four years and then tried his skills at sea. He engaged in lobster fishing with some of the other villagers. These fishing expeditions would require ten to twelve days at sea, sometimes under the meanest of weather conditions. Some of the popular fishing spots were Half Moon Caye, Glover's Reef and Turneffe Island. Even though the job was tough, the financial benefits were much better than his previous one. This was important to him since he would soon start a family with his companion Romana Hou. After eight years of these long fishing trips, he switched to fishing locally so he could spend more time with his now growing family. Today, his family consists of five children; three girls and two boys.

    The sea had been very generous to Reds and his family, but an unfortunate eye injury was the final end to his fishing trips. He then went to work painting boats and skiffs; a job he does to this day. Never an idle man, another way he earned his living was by setting up bars and bartending at various town functions and private special occasion parties and weddings.

    In 1986, when Reds went to work as a bartender for the San Pedro Lions Club, little did he know this job would become permanent. Since then Reds has been managing and tending the bar at the San Pedro Lions Den every single weekend. Additionally, he personally cooks an abundance of coleslaw and beans for the weekend barbecue and keeps the "Den" in tip-top shape. Although he had worked fourteen years for the Lions, he only joined the club in the last year. His hard work is recognized and appreciated by many in this town. He recalls one of his proudest moments as being introduced to Don Francisco, a Latin-American celebrity who made a short documentary of his visit to Belize.  

     Reds has been part of the various industries that San Pedro has seen; coconut, fishing at its peak and currently the tourism industry. He now partakes in the promotion of our island by welcoming all visitors, with a big smile, to the Lions Den. Because of all these things and many others he is a friend to many and an integral part of "Our Community."