Volunteers answer the call for Micro Games

While many around the region are doing what they could to prep for competing in the upcoming 6th Micronesian Games, many others on Saipan are concerned about ensuring the facilities will be ready for the hosting.

A couple of groups answered the call of support and put in hours of work in hopes of pitching in and giving back to the community.

Over the past weekend, volunteers from the MDX Amateur Radio Club and CNMI POWER put a fresh coat of paint on the interior walls of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

About 30 members of the groups took shifts scraping old paint off and repainting the hallway at the main entrance of the gym, the restrooms, and the men’s and women’s locker rooms.

“Its just extending volunteer service to the preparation for the Micronesian Games,” said MDX president Boy Ching. “We’re trying to start up volunteer efforts on the preparation. We have talked to [officials] and they asked us to do the painting.”

Not only did the volunteers paint the gym, they are also responsible for repairing leaks on the roof of the facility, as well as painting the curbs and bumps on the parking lot.

“We did already some job on [roof] but we found out there’s still some more that needs to be done so we need another effort up there,” Ching said. “For the parking lot, we just need to finish painting the curb, and we’re waiting for the paint to do that.”

Ching has been in contact with Division of Sports and Recreation director and Micro Games facilities chairman Joe Lizama, who requested that MDX now focus on the roof.

“I spoke to him and we’re going to do the roof. He wants us to do the roof because we already know the problem and we’re already familiar with it, so I just told him that we need another pale of roof cement. Before, there were so many leaks, now only one more part. So we’re going to look back on that part,” Ching said.

Earlier, Lizama expressed his appreciation to the group for their efforts.

“They’ve really been supportive, not only for this Micro Games but in other community projects,” Lizama said. “They’re really helpful and I’m happy to have them on board.”

Ching explained that the group is determined to assist the community in whatever way it could.

“MDX is basically an amateur radio group and we usually extend services through communications,” he said, citing that they’ve provided services to other cause such as local American Red Cross Chapter and the Saipan Walking Association, Inc. “Whenever they want us to assist, we’re always there. We’re like a support group. In preparation of Micro Games, they enlisted our support so we just received to the call.”

Ching said he is meeting with Micro Games official Bill Sakovich today regarding assistance the group can give during the Games.

“We’ll be meeting because he wants some commitments on the volunteers on the Games,” he said. “We’re trying to look where we could help that would not affect our jobs.”