McDonald’s donates $1K for man’amko film showing

McDonald’s Saipan owner and operator Marcia Ayuyu with the cast and crew of the movie The Forgotten Islands that features senior citizens from the Office on Aging. (Bea Cabrera)

McDonald’s Saipan is extending a helping hand to support the showing of the man’amko film entitled The Forgotten Islands at the Regal Theater.

Senior citizens who are active members of the Office on Aging put the film together.

McDonald’s Saipan owner and operator Marcia Ayuyu said that her heart is close to the senior citizens of the CNMI.

“To see older people doing so many things at the man’amko center like dancing, playing bingo, use the computer exercising, singing songs, and living life to the fullest touches my heart… Sometimes I see senior citizens just stay at home but here at the center you see them enjoying life even if some of them don’t have anybody with them at home anymore.”

“…This is to show our love for our senior citizens. I’m really proud of them because they don’t get tired and they really motivate themselves to do many things. I am also a member of Rotary [Club of] Saipan and during Thanksgiving, we treat them, play games and dance with them, and it is something I always look forward to,” she added.

Saipan Seniors Advisory Council president Terry Soroza said that donations from McDonald’s and other companies will help them fund the showing of The Forgotten Islands at Regal Theater every Wednesday night for five weeks starting July 25.

“McDonald’s has been helping us all the time and we are thankful for that. We wanted to share this film to the community as all actors are man’amko members… you can see some are in wheelchairs… all members who showed interest in joining the film shooting even if they cannot stand are in the movie.”

Soroza said the movie is relevant because majority of the people on the island sometimes forget their history, culture, and good manners. This movie will remind them of those values and bring back the culture of the people in the Marianas, she added.

According to Office on Aging director Walter Manglona, who is also the director, scriptwriter, and editor of the movie, the proceeds of the film showing will go directly to the man’amko fundraising account.

“The proceeds from movie tickets sales will go to their fundraising account that helps fund special activities, help procure recreational equipment like computers, and anything that they can use at the center to make it more fun,” she said.

Manglona added this will help the man’amko to accomplish their goals and mission, adding that their goal is to remain active, healthy, involved, interested, as well as travel to Tinian, Rota, and Guam to meet other man’amko there.

“It is an original film entirely shot on Saipan where we incorporated action, fantasy, and adventure into it. We stayed away from the genre of horror as we wanted to make it more interesting and to have a mix of actual history and fantasy plot lines to make the story cinematic,” he added.

Manglona said that the community could expect more films and similar activities from the man’amko members.

“In our program we do a lot of inter-generational activities to be able to strengthen ties and eliminate the generation gap. I regularly meet with the man’amko members and inform them that they are the role models of the young generation.”

“I get a lot of feedback from them that a lot of people dismiss senior citizens because they are old and that’s why activities like this supports our mission to show people that senior citizens can still do it,” he added.

The Forgotten Islands movie tickets are available only at the Office on Aging on Middle Road across Gold’s Gym at $15 each.