‘Raise the Roof’ reaches out to CNMI’s business leaders

The “Raise the Roof” fundraising event is a unique campaign that seeks the help of influential business leaders to tap into their network of contacts and make pledges to assist charitable organizations active in the Typhoon Soudelor recovery efforts.

The fundraising event has been organized to benefit three charitable organizations working hard to address the needs of Saipan survivors. They are the Lady Diann Torres Foundation, the American Red Cross, and United 4 Saipan.

The Lady Diann Torres Foundation was founded with the vision to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities, fund programs focused on promoting literacy, and establish other initiatives that would directly benefit the general public. With the recent disaster that has impacted every person on Saipan, Diann Torres and volunteers of her foundation have been working hard in doing outreach. In line with the theme “Raise the Roof,” the foundation’s prospective aim is to use part of the proceeds to distribute tin and lumber to the thousands of homes affected by Soudelor and also address other disaster needs of our people.

The Red Cross continues to provide emergency relief for the people of the CNMI struggling to recover from two of the most destructive storms to impact the Northern Mariana Islands in the past 30 years. Typhoon Soudelor and Tropical Storm Goni affected nearly 2,800 homes with more than 1,000 that were destroyed or suffered major damage.

“The Red Cross response began immediately, thanks to our local office on Saipan and a group of dedicated local volunteers,” Red Cross executive director John Hirsh stated. “Currently, a team of nearly 200 Red Crossers are working around the clock to provide support with sheltering, feeding, logistics and damage assessments, client casework, health services, bulk supplies and financial assistance to those most in need. The Red Cross will be there in the weeks and months ahead to help families and individuals throughout the Mariana Islands chain rebuild and recover.”

The United 4 Saipan group, working in partnership with Marianas Young Professionals, is a grassroots volunteer group providing access to water, food, and essential necessities for people impacted by Soudelor. According to one of the key volunteers of the group, “all of our funds are used to enable the distribution of relief directly into villages, with the goal of reaching those in the most remote areas or with the least access to transportation and other resources. While our immediate goal is to help minimize the suffering caused by this natural disaster, we will continue to adapt our work in alignment with community-wide coordination and priorities established through the Long-Term Recovery Committee.”

The “Raise the Roof” Saipan fundraising event is “not your typical fundraiser, because its goal is to reach out to and invite influential individuals (rather than companies) to reach out to their contacts to make the pledges,” an event committee member said.

The goal is to reach out to business and corporate leaders, who in turn, can use their network of contacts to make the pledges and hopefully raise a significant amount of funding for the three recipient charitable organizations.

The funds raised will not be used to pay for any expenses incurred by putting the event together; instead, 100 percent of the funds raised will be used to directly benefit the three recipient organizations and complement their resources—such as water, food and hygiene necessities—for our people that they serve.

“Raise the Roof” is not selling tickets to raise funds. It aims to bring key business leaders, government officials, the charities and their volunteers together in one day “to remind each other of the strength that we have as a community of champions especially as we move forward in rebuilding and recovering our beautiful island of Saipan.”

The event’s invitees are exclusive and will take place on Sept. 3, from 6pm to 10pm, at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan.

“We’re all in this together and I ask you to use your personal networks and influence in ‘raising the roof’ in what we as business leaders can collectively do for the people of this very special place, for those who are displaced, homeless and still in despair, and also to the many hardworking government, private and charitable organizations who are working as one strong community to rebuild and recover the island of Saipan,” said Dr. Bo, the Skywalker Communications Group managing director.

“For that, I plead with you to join me ‘Raise the Roof’ and make a personal pledge to support the unsung heroes on the ground—the charitable organizations and groups that continue to tirelessly and selflessly stand in the frontlines to give help wherever and whenever help is needed.”

“Please take the pledge today! Call 20 or more of your contacts to donate what they can to help our local charities that are on the ground everyday and who are still serving the thousands of Typhoon Soudelor survivors in Saipan.”

Dr. Bo also said Skywalker is committed to this effort, is committed to this community and for that, his company has pledged to shoulder all the expenses in putting this effort together in order for 100 percent of the funds raised to reach the charitable organizations and the people of Saipan. Dr. Bo is also one of the first business leaders to make a personal pledge to “Raise the Roof.”

To make a pledge or learn more, email RaiseTheRoofSaipan@gmail.com or contact 484-6976. You can also find the local cause on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. (Skywalker Communications)