Sons of Saipan donates cement mixer to NMTI

Northern Marianas Trades Institute’s Construction Trades Program faculty and students pose with the cement mixer Guam-based Sons of Saipan donated recently. (Contributed Photo)

The Northern Marianas Trades Institute’s Construction Trades Program recently received a donation of a brand new cement mixer.

The item, donated by a Guam-based philanthropy group calling themselves the Sons of Saipan, was received earlier last week. The group is comprised of young business professionals residing in the neighboring territory and they have been actively looking for ways at assisting their homeland since Super Typhoon Soudelour. Many of Saipan’s residents during that rough period were afforded emergency supplies such as canned goods, children’s pampers, and mosquito coils to name a few from this group that continues its fundraising efforts through various means.

According to information received from SOS through correspondence on the donation, “in December 2015, the Santa Rita Mayor’s Office hosted Bingo Night Fundraisers and generously donated $1,500 to the SOS for the typhoon Soudelor reconstruction efforts. Through other donations made to SOS, the Sons of Saipan were able to match the donation by the Santa Rita’s Mayor’s Office and purchase the cement mixer which was shipped directly to NMTI.”

The organization’s donation is welcome news to NMTI as it helps the Construction Trades Program in its effort at providing island residents with equipment students need to succeed in their career endeavors.  As NMTI touts a “hands on learning” approach, running trades classes is somewhat different from a regular academic stand point in that it is a bit more expensive to conduct according to Department Chair, Rip Stephenson.

When John Oliver Gonzales, chairman of NMTI’s Board of Directors, heard about the arrival of the mixer, he immediately said, “we are truly blessed to have organizations’ that care about the well being of our community.  SOS’ contribution is testament that there are many of our people out there that continue to practice their Christian beliefs regardless of residence. My colleagues on the Board of Directors cannot thank SOS enough as their donation helps alleviate some of the loss we’ve experienced recently through burglary. This item would serve as a major tool toward helping individuals still suffering today; as many of our students continue to perform community service construction projects hailing from Soudelour damage as part of their internship requirement.”