4th Annual PIC Hafa Adai 5K to benefit MTEC

It’ll be a celebration of color and fun when more than 1,000 runners, walkers, joggers and strollers hit the streets of San Antonio on April 8 for the 4th Annual Pacific Islands Club Saipan Hafa Adai 5K and to raise funds for the Marianas Tourism Education Council.

“We are happy to bring the PIC Hafa Adai 5K back to Saipan in 2017,” PIC Saipan’s Sports, Entertainment and Activities director Brad Ruszala said. “There isn’t another event like it in the Marianas and we are going to bring all of the excitement back to Beach Road once again this year.”

PIC launched the colorful event in 2014 as a way to promote physical activity and raise funds for local organizations. The PIC Hafa Adai 5K has since raised $26,000 for local non-profit groups and become one of PIC Saipan’s signature events. Last year, the event raised $10,000 for the Northern Mariana Islands chapter of the American Red Cross. Previous beneficiaries include the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Salvation Army.

According to Ruszala, the selection of this year’s beneficiary, MTEC, was made in recognition of the organization’s continuous development of MY WAVE Clubs that teach kids about the benefit and value of our tourism industry.

“Choosing MTEC as the beneficiary of this year’s event was easy,” Ruszala said. “MTEC’s leadership consists of people who have dedicated themselves to our local community and the CNMI’s tourism industry.”

MTEC Chairwoman, Vicky Benavente, said events like the PIC Hafa Adai 5K fall directly in line with the MTEC mission.

“Having our students become more involved with community events helps them understand the vital link between themselves and the visitors who come to our islands for fun and relaxation,” she said.

MTEC has sponsored 100 children in support of each of the first three PIC Hafa Adai 5K events, something PIC Sports and Events manager Keoni Ichihara appreciates.

“MTEC walks the talk by directly enabling our youth to take part in physical activities that benefit our community,” he said. “And the kids who show up are some of the most enthusiastic participants every year.”

While MTEC is this year’s beneficiary, the PIC Hafa Adai 5K remains focused on youth participation by offering prizes to the elementary, middle and high schools with the most paid participants. Last year, Agape Christian School swept all three categories to take home $1,500 in sports equipment, courtesy of Let’s Move Marianas.

This year, the elementary (grades 1-5), junior high/middle schools (grades 6-8) and high schools (grades 9-12) with the most paid entries into the PIC Hafa Adai 5K will once again earn their respective schools special prizes provided by Let’s Move Marianas.

The PIC Hafa Adai 5K’s registration will open at 6:30am, while the run will start at 7:30am. The 5KM course will start and finish at PIC Saipan and will feature five different coloring stations along the Beach Road route. Participants are encouraged to wear white attire so the full effect of the coloring stations can be seen post-race. Volunteers will be celebrating each runner’s arrival by greeting them with “holi powder;” a biodegradable mixture of corn starch and food coloring.

Registration for the PIC Hafa Adai 5K is only $10 and entry forms are available at the Pacific Islands Club. All completed entry forms must be turned in to the PIC front desk. For more information, please contact Ichihara at 237-5147 or visit our website www.picresorts.com/saipan/. (PIC)