Coldeen picks CLI for money raised from Christmas Island Relay

Part for the poster for Northern Marianas Athletics’ Annual Christmas Island Relay shows a file photo of retired KSPN sportscaster Bob Coldeen interviewing Team Blitzkrieg. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Retired sports broadcaster Bob Coldeen has chosen Center for Living Independently as the beneficiary of the funds raised from last Saturday’s Annual Christmas Island Relay hosted by Northern Marianas Athletics.

“I’m honored by this gesture. I chose Center for Independent Living. I’m touched by the donation of those blessed and fortunate to be able to have an active lifestyle and would like to help those in need. That center uses donations for direct assistance to their clients. This contribution will result in tangible benefits to them. The fortunate helping out the unfortunate matches the spirit of the Christmas season,” Coldeen told Saipan Tribune.

Earlier, NMA secretary general Robin Sapong said letting Coldeen pick the local charity that will receive the money raised from the sports organization’s yearend event is a fitting tribute to the former KSPN sportscaster.

“The person we picked who will chose the local charity is someone who’s been covering us and actually has brought sports alive in the CNMI and that’s Mr. Bob Coldeen. He’s retired so it’s a way for us to say thank you and for supporting us for the past years. Whatever money we make in this event those funds will go to a local charity and actually if you look at our poster we used Bob Coldeen’s name and his catchphrase ‘Did you get that, Bob?’ so he will be the one to choose the local charity as a way for our sport to thank him,” he said.

Center for Independent Living executive director Susan Satur can’t help but heap praise for Coldeen choosing the non-profit organization as the beneficiary of NMA’s Annual Christmas Island Relay.

“We’re just really, really grateful to Bob. I want to thank him. This is like amazing and I don’t even know if he knew about the center. I’m so excited. I cannot tell you how grateful we are to Bob. It’s so amazing. Were just really, really happy. He’s such a legend. How did he knew about us? He’s such a wonderful person,” she said.

Some of the teams that took part in Northern Marianas Athletics’ Annual Christmas Island Relay last Saturday pose for a group photo at the Last Command Post in Marpi. (MARK RABAGO)

Established in 2001, CLI provides a comprehensive range of services to enable people with disabilities to live as independently as they choose within the community. It also seeks to ensure the rights of people with disabilities to live independently and fully integrated within the community.

Sapong, meanwhile, thanked everyone responsible for making the yearend Annual Christmas Island Relay a success despite the recent surge in COVID-19 in the community.

“We actually went back and see what’s happening in the community. We noticed there’s not much restrictions outdoors. So what we did was do protocols with different heats and everything was online entry so there was no cash transaction,” he said.

Sapong added they were sort of duty-bound to go through with the Christmas Island Relay as the event is literally NMA’s longest running event. He said NMA has been in existence for the past 39 years and save for a couple of occasions, they’ve always staged the 13.7-mile race from the Pacific Islands Club Saipan in San Antonio to the Last Command Post in Marpi.

“We wanted the inspire the community because most of the sports events have been cancelled this year. That’s why we decided to go ahead with this and consulting with specialists in our group to make sure last minute to announce it,” he said.

In all, only one team out of the 20 that signed up didn’t partake in the Christmas Island Relay. And for Sapong, it’s alright as it was better for Team CV-19 to stay away as it obviously stood for COVID-19.