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Relief drive raises $10K for Fiji recovery efforts
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- Northern Marianas Athletics secretary general Robin Sapong asks motorists for donations during the Fiji relief drive. (Jon Perez)
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- Volunteers prepare relief goods for packing before being shipped to victims of Cyclone Winston in Fiji. (Jon Perez)
The KKMP Foundation in partnership with the First Lady Diann Torres Foundation, the Department of Fire and Emergency Management Services, MYPros, ACH Chuuk Community, Saipan Mariana’s Lion’s Club, Pacific Century Fellows closed out their relief drive raising $10,000 cash and an additional $40,000 worth of clothing, food items, and relief supplies toward Cyclone Winston recovery efforts in Fiji.
According to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Winston made landfall on Feb. 20 along the north coast of Fiji’s largest, most populous island bringing maximum sustained winds of 180 mph.
The Fijian government stated that Cyclone Winston claimed the lives of 46 people, affected 350,000 people or 40 percent of the total population of Fiji and displaced 54,000.
In response to this, the CNMI held a relief drive on April 9 for clothing, food, tools, and other donations.
KKMP’s Gary Sword shared that some of those affected by the cyclone are Fijian midwives who have returned to Fiji after serving the CNMI people for many years.
“We understand the hardships associated with a powerful storm as we experienced in Soudelor. Unfortunately, Fiji cannot depend on federal resources as we did and must depend on the generosity of the world and Pacific communities. My partners and I extend our sincere appreciation to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog for their support to the success of the drive and to all the community members who donated items and money to the cause,” he said.
The KKMP Foundation closed out the drive yesterday with a donation from the CNMI Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services cadets class of 2016 in the amount of $1,600 raised through their boot drives with Governor
With the support and generosity of Kyowa Shipping Lines via Saipan Shipping Company and Saipan Stevedore, a 40-foot shipping container was also donated with free handling and transportation via ocean freight to Suva, Fiji.
This container has left the CNMI and is headed to the Fijian Government Ministry of Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management.
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the community and to the KKMP Foundation for spearheading the relief drive, Torres thanks the community for offering their support to our neighboring Pacific Islands. (PR)
