Saipan Lions Clubs: We Serve

Saipan Lions, which is part of the 1.4 million Lions across the globe, has signed on to a five-year agreement with the Public Private Partnership of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers to support an initiative that focuses on destination enhancement in the CNMI.

Al Cabael, the Lions Club International District 204 Region II chair, said that when the opportunity to become part of the PPP was presented to them, there was no question that their group will be on board with the campaign. The association chose to have improvement projects at the Sugar Dock Beach Park.

“The motto of the Lions is ‘We Serve.’ Our services focus on five global causes—diabetes, environment, hunger, vision, and childhood cancer. It’s just fitting that we adopted Sugar Dock Beach Park because of one of the causes we support—the protection of our environment. There’s a need to improve the beach park, not only to address environment concerns but as well as the health, safety, and welfare of the people visiting it,” Cabael said.

Early this month, all seven Saipan Lions groups—Saipan Fil-Am Lions Club, Saipan Unity Lions Club, Saipan Marianas Lions Club, Saipan Alliance Lions Club, Saipan Centennial Lions Club, Saipan Natibu Lions Club, and Saipan Pacific Lions Club—plus Leo (youth) members did a cleanup at the Sugar Dock Beach, collecting 11,980 lbs of trash through the support of Triple J 5 Star, the Saipan Mayor’s Office, and Happy Market.

“There will be more cleanup drives at the Sugar Dock Beach Park as a perpetual service to the community,” Cabael said.

Next month, Saipan Lions Clubs will be trimming the trees around the beach park as falling coconuts and fronds could cause accidents.

The clubs’ master plan for the Sugar Dock Beach Park includes creating a shoreline vehicle traffic diversion and installing two shower stations, a central park bathroom, and a permanent pavilion that would replace the pala-palas. The makeshift pavilions are at the northern end of the park near the dock and have undergone repeated repair work due to the series of typhoons that hit the islands in the last three years.

There’s more work to be done, according to Cabael, but if all will chip in even just a little, the load will get easier and more can be accomplished.

“Everyone has a role to play in maintaining the beauty of the islands that we and our visitors can enjoy, not only today but also in the future. Together we can,” Cabael said.