Pandemic won’t stop Christmas
First lady Diann Torres will be joined by Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios’ wife, Wella Palacios, to welcome the holiday season with the lighting of “A Christmas Village on the Hill” at the Governor’s Office on Capital Hill on Nov. 29 at 6:30pm, to signal the start of the holiday season in the CNMI.
According to a flier from the Lady Diann Torres Foundation, they will be offering free popcorn and a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus. Due to social distancing protocols, participants will go through a drive-thru on Building Block 1200-1300 to see the rest of the village “come to life.”
A map of the Christmas Village on Capital Hill will be made available on the LDTF social media page on Facebook soon.
As of Nov. 18, there are a total of 47 agencies that will participate in this event.
This will be a first such program on Capital Hill. During previous holidays, the event that kicks off the holidays in the Marianas was held at the grounds of the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center with the lighting of a giant Christmas tree and the opening of a Christmas Village.
Also, the Associated Students of the Northern Marianas College and NMC is proud to spearhead and partner with the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Marine Corp for the fourth annual Toys for Tots Campaign.
According to the ASNMC flier, the mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots Program is to collect new and unwrapped presents during the months of November and December to distribute the toys as Christmas gifts to children in the community.
For those who want to donate, ASNMC is accepting new and unwrapped toys, art supplies, books, and anything else suitable for ages zero to 17 years old. These donations can be dropped off at donation boxes located on the NMC campus at Building P (president’s office) and Building V (faculty office). They are open from Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.