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1,500 take part in Hafa Adai 5K Run
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- My Wave volunteers line up at the start of the Hafa Adai 5K Run last Saturday in front of Pacific Islands Club Saipan. Volunteers threw the first wash of colors as registered runners start their run. (Photos (Erwin Encinares)
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- Registered runners take part in the Zumba session offered at the Hafa Adai 5K Run last Saturday that was hosted by the Pacific Islands Club Saipan.
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- Pacific Islands Club’s Brad Ruszala, far left, Kanoa Resort’s Glenn Policare, and the Governor Office’s Vicky Benavente started the Hafa Adai 5K Run off with a few remark last Saturday.
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- First three registered runners to finish the Hafa Adai 5K Run pose for a picture last Saturday.
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- Registered runners finish the Hafa Adai 5K Run hosted by the Pacific Islands Club Saipan last Saturday.
The 4th Annual Hafa Adai 5K Run hosted by the Pacific Islands Club Saipan took place last Saturday with over 1,500 participants taking part in the colorful event.
The Hafa Adai 5K Run run is a fundraiser organized by PIC to raise proceeds that would be donated to the Marianas Tourism Education Council.
MTEC will use the funds raised for scholarships that will be offered to selected MY WAVE Club members from CNMI high schools and junior high schools.
According to the Hafa Adai 5K Run organizer Brad Ruszala, PIC Saipan Sports, Entertainment, and Activities director, the event drew over 1,500 participant this year. “We had more participants than last year and this is the biggest event to date.”
Glenn Policare, Ruszala’s predecessor at PIC and the person who started the event, was pleased by how the numbers have grown in the last four years. “In the first year we only had 892 people join the run. In the second year, we broke 1,000. Last year we had 1,200 participants. This year it was overwhelming to see over 1500 participants out today,” he said.
The sponsors of the Hafa Adai 5K Run included companies such as PIC, IT&E, Bridge Capital LLC, Pacific Trading Company, Let’s Move Marianas, Triple J Wholesale, and Tribe Marianas.
The Hafa Adai 5K Run even had volunteers from MTEC, Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School, and Hopwood Middle School.
MHS’ MY WAVE Club members volunteered for the first time since the club was only brought back this school year, according to its adviser Marizel Hiponia.
Prizes were provided for the schools with the most participants. For the elementary category, the prize for the most number of participants went to the Oleai Elementary School, Hopwood won in the middle school category, and Agape Christian School maintained their spot for the highest number of participants in the high school category.
Let’s Move Marianas provided the prizes for the schools. The prize provided for the winning schools was $500 worth of All-Star Sporting Goods certificates, according to Ruszala.
Benavente, chairwoman of MTEC and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ special assistant on Project Development, thanked PIC for its continuous support. “In behalf of the Marianas Tourism Education Council, we thank the PIC Hafa Adai 5K and all of its sponsors.”
