Apatang awards LibDay raffle, float competition winners

The Saipan Mayor’s Office awarded the cash prizes for the 2018 Liberation Day float competition and raffle in a simple ceremony last Monday.

Carolinian Affairs Office won the float competition along with the $4,000 cash prize and yearlong bragging rights for its Carolinian canoe-inspired entry.

CAO executive John Tagabuel thanked the mayor’s office and the 2018 Liberation Day organizing committee for the holding of the successful LibDay parade last July 18, which paved the way for them winning the float competition.

“We at CAO are proud and honored to have won first place in the float competition. We found a simple idea and went with it and didn’t think we’d come close to the other floats,” he said.

Tagabuel said CAO is planning on using some of the money to hold a small appreciation party for everyone involved in making their winning float.

Second place was a three-way tie among the Department of Land and Natural Resources, TanHoldings, and San Vicente Lancheros.

The three second-placers will share the $6,000 total purse for second ($3,000), third ($2,000), and fourth place ($1,000).

Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang said of the three runners-up, only DLNR hasn’t picked up their winnings.

“We have presented the float prizes except for one. We are waiting for DLNR. We are trying to get a hold of DLNR to present their check,” he said.

“For those we cannot contact, we have to give them until December otherwise the money will divert back to the Liberation Day committee,” added Apatang.

In the LibDay raffle, Kaya Rasa won the grand prize of $10,000, Lynn F. Yomorad earned the second grand prize of $3,000, while Shirley A. Wilson took the third grand prize worth $1,000.

Until now, Rasa said she couldn’t believe that Lady Luck smiled at her on raffle night last July 21.

“It has gotten me very excited and I am very grateful to have won it.” She plans on making good use of it by saving for college.

Yomorad said she did not expect to win the second grand prize and in fact was distracted days before the raffle drawing because she was about to fly to Guam.

She intends to spend the $3,000 she won on back-to-school supplies for her children knowing all to well that the start of school is just around the corner.