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Marianas Resort, Talaabwogh Stars distribute 100 cases of water, blankets, towels
Tanapag residents had reason to celebrate yesterday afternoon after Mariana Resort & Spa and Talaabwogh Stars Association distributed water, blankets, and towels to the people of the village.
Executives and staff of the Marpi hotel and Talaabwogh members met up at Tanapag’s church with three vans containing 100 towels, blankets, and cases of water and went from door to door giving the items out.
Mariana Resort & Spa president Yoshihiro Kitami, sixth from left, and general manager Gloria Cavanagh, eighth from right, and staff join community members and the non-profit group Talaabwogh Stars, including their president Malcolm Omar-Castro, far right, in front of the Tanapag church to distribute 100 cases of water, towels, and blankets. (Jayson Camacho)
Malcom Omar-Castro, president of Talaabwogh Stars, a non-profit group, volunteered to distribute the items following the devastation wrought by Typhoon Soudelor last Aug. 2.
“Gloria Cavanagh [general manager for Marianas Resort] contacted us looking for volunteers. Since we always partnered up with Mariana Resort on their events and they helped us on fundraisers, so we helped,” Castro said.
“We also helped because our NGO used up its stocks to help the community here in Tanapag since the typhoon hit,” he added.
Cavanagh said the donated items are their contribution to the community. With Aqua Resort Club and Mariana Resort the only major hotels left in the northern part of Saipan, she said they took it upon themselves to contribute to the community.
Mariana Resort president Yoshihiro Kitami said his company is a local company and their place lies with the northern part of the island that includes San Roque, Marpi, As Matuis, Tanapag, Achugao, and other areas.
“We wanted to help out everybody because we know how hard it is here and some don’t have water. We want to help as much as possible and give out to the community,” Kitami said.
Mariana Resort also donated their 50-foot water pool at Kan Pacific. Cavanagh said that more than 10,000 gallons were given to the Emergency Operation Center for their use.
Cavanagh, who is also president of the Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas Islands, said other HANMI members are also contributing to the relief assistance. She noted that HANMI will be purchasing $20,000 worth of canned products and boxes of ramen and will be distributing these to all five precincts on Saipan.
