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Sunset Walk draws crowd
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Posted on Jun 25 2004
Intermittent rain in the morning and early in the afternoon may have cost a handful of entrants but SAIWAI’s 3rd Annual Pan Pacific IVV Saipan Festival pushed through as planned Saturday with 47 participants joining the 10K Sunset Walk.
The local walking association’s secretary and event coordinator Mario Espeleta said SAIWAI quite was happy with the turnout despite the bad weather conditions.
“In all, it was still a successful event. Although we had to scrap the Aqua Walk altogether in the morning, a lot of people still showed up and enjoyed the Sunset Walk in the afternoon.
The surviving walking event began promptly at 4:30pm at the Chamolinian Cultural Village in Garapan with organizers opting for a staggered start.
Walkers trotted southward along the Saipan Beach Pathway, passing by landmarks like the Kristo Rai Church in Garapan, the Japanese Tank Memorial at Quartermaster Road, and the Marianas Visitors Authority office at San Jose before turning back at the Oleai Beach Club for the rest of the route.
At the finish line, SAIWAI members and a snack that consisted of fruits and pastries greeted the participants.
As for the Aqua Walk, Espeleta said it has been moved back to August 21, the date of SAIWAI’s next big walking event.
Like all SAIWAI activities, the International Federation of Popular Sports or IVV sanctioned the lone event to commemorate the 3rd Annual Pan Pacific IVV Saipan Festival.
IVV members received credit for joining the event. The IVV has member walking clubs in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, the CNMI and 29 other European countries.
Other walking events SAIWAI has slated for the rest of the year are the 3rd Annual Foundation and Family Day Walk on August 21; the Heart of the Marianas Fitness Fair Walk on September 25; and the 4th Annual Thanksgiving Day Walk on November 20.
SAIWAI was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on July 27, 2001 and was established to promote public health through non-competitive walking.
For more information n SAIWAI events, please contact Bea at 322-2725 or Mario at 322-8876.
