NMTI, Make-A-Wish share money raised in Hyatt golf

The Northern Mariana Islands Trades Institute and Make-A-Wish Foundation were the co-recipients of the money raised in last month’s 20th Annual Hyatt Regency Saipan Charity Golf Classic. The 2016 edition of the fundraising tournament was held at Laolao Bay Golf & Resort’s west course.

Hyatt Regency officials and staff, led by general manager Nick Nishikawa, turned over the checks in a simple ceremony yesterday at the lobby of the Garapan hotel. NMTI and Make-A-Wish staff received the donation.

Nishikawa and Hyatt food and beverage director Ty Pauling thanked everyone who helped them in the golf tournament from the sponsors to the volunteers. The tournament raised a total of $52,000 with NMTI and Make-A-Wish receiving $26,000 each.

“Their event partners, sponsors, golf players, and volunteer associates will grant wishes for our Make-A-Wish Foundation recipients and open new opportunities for NMTI,” said Nishikawa.

“Goals are met and relationships are forged when we take care of our community with shared commitment and partnership. The impact we made for the past 20 years and this year would not have been possible without [their] continued involvement and dedication.”

Pauling added that Hyatt’s partners and sponsors in the golf tournament again exceeded their expectations. “We are thankful to all the good golfers who joined the fundraising tournament and also to the sponsors that helped us organize the event. We wouldn’t have achieved this without their help.”

“I would also like to thank our team of hardworking and dedicated volunteer associates who initiated the planning and organizing of the event this year. Their extra attention to detail ensured the event ran smoothly,” said Pauling.

NMTI chief executive officer Agnes McPhetres said the money would be used to buy computers to help their students get certified nationally.

“We’re going to use their donation to buy computers for the students to get their national certification, especially for the culinary arts. Hotels on Saipan also provide workshops to our hotel and restaurant operations students after they pass the test,” said McPhetres.

She added that the other project of their carpentry and construction students helping repair the damages in some of the facilities at the House of Maturana in Navy Hill be getting a different funding.

“That will be the on-the-job training of our carpentry and construction students but that will have a different funding. The Rotary Club of Saipan and the Rotary Club of Guam will join hands for the project,” said McPhetres.

The Rotary Club of Saipan also had an on-the-spot fundraising activity in yesterday’s meeting at Hyatt’s Giovanni’s restaurant where $600 was raised. The money will be added to the fund for the repair of the House of Maturana.

The impromptu fundraiser is a bet by the Rotary Club of Saipan to vice president Brian Clayton. The bet is Clayton would shave his head if they raised $600.

Rotary Saipan president Curtis Dancoe, Mike Dilly, Ivan Ilmov, Mike Sablan, Pete Schilling, and Mario Valentino donated $100 each.

Make-A-Wish executive director Victor P. Camacho said they have been recipients of proceeds from the annual golf tournament since 1998. “It was something that they first did internally and as the years go by the donation increases. That’s why we are truly grateful to Hyatt’s staff and management, they have been supportive for many years.”

Make-A-Wish kids in Guam and the CNMI will have their wishes granted because of Hyatt’s generosity. “The money donated by Hyatt will be used for the region, for granting wishes of kids in Guam and the CNMI. There are three more kids on Saipan that will have their wishes granted by the end of the year.”

Make-A-Wish Foundation recipient Jasmine Guanzon, whose wish of seeing and spending time with her mom who works in Hong Kong, is now also working at the Hyatt. She is suffering from papillary carcinoma—the most common form of thyroid cancer and wrote Make-A-Wish when she was 16 years old.