Previous Story
FIRST DAY OF SERVICE
Volunteers clean up AMP on NPS’ 100th anniversary
Volunteers were scattered around the American Memorial Park last Saturday cleaning up damage done by Typhoon Soudelor and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.
Brooke Nevitt, lead Ranger at American Memorial Park, said that the office of CNMI Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) supported the cleanup, dubbed the First Day of Service, along with other partners.
“We’re here today for a day of service. Yesterday (Aug. 26, 2016) was the Park Service’s 100th birthday, so we’re here to celebrate that, the National Park Service centennial. We are also here with the support of Congressman Kilili’s office, as well as of the Red Cross and the PSS Americorps, CARE (Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts), and many other are participating to volunteer and clean up the park,” shared an enthusiastic Nevitt.
American Red Cross NMI Chapter executive director John Hirsch, shared the history of the National Park Service.
“It was established by Woodrow Wilson in 1916 so there has been a hundred years of historical conservation throughout the nation and here in the Commonwealth. When the covenant was signed with the U.S. to establish the CNMI, they designated this area as a place to reserve not only to remember those who fought and served in World War II and died, but also to create a place of natural beauty where people can and recreate so today on the 100th anniversary the Red Cross and several of our partners and people of the community are coming out and helping clean up the park,” said Hirsch.
Hirsch also said that a large scheduled cleanup consisting of the various volunteer groups of the CNMI is possible, specifically saying that this would not be a weekly cleanup, but more of a quarterly cleanup.
“Once we see how this works and get some feedback from the [National] Park Service and to whether they felt it was a success. As you can see we had an excellent turn out this morning, but maybe we’ll do this on a quarterly basis, or something like that,” said Hirsch
The cleanup volunteers consisted of Red Cross, Kagman High School, Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School, and many more just to name a few.
