Red Cross raises over $65K from walkathon

The 28th Annual Red Cross Walkathon last Saturday on Saipan saw 2,512 walkers take part in the local chapter’s signature event, which resulted in donations totaling $65,119.73.

The American Red Cross-NMI Chapter said the figures were slightly down from last year’s 3,150 walkers and over $67,000 in donations.

The school that came with the largest contingent was Oleai Elementary School with 237 students, followed by William S. Reyes Elementary School with 163 students, and Garapan Elementary School with 153 students.

Schools with the largest amount of donations included OES with $10,205.86, Mt. Carmel School with $3,808.50, and the CNMI Head Start Program with $3,610.12.

Students from various schools also raised hundreds of dollars themselves. OES’ Isabel Carreon raised the most with $415.56, followed by Mt. Carmel School’s Matthew Sablan, $380; WSR’s Kyon Manibusan, $376; and San Antonio Elementary School’s Alannah Sablan, $366.21. They can choose between an Eco Camp Package or a Sports Package for their efforts.

A certificate will also be given to Bank of Hawaii, while Fiesta Resort & Spa will receive a plaque for their donations and support to the ARC-NMI Chapter.

“Congratulations again to all the students, their families and our partners throughout the CNMI for making this year’s event another great success,” ARC-NMI Chapter executive director John Hirsh said.

Hirsh noted that they received a lot of positive feedback from parents and kids for the shorter courses this year. He assured that the 2K, 5K, and 10K distances will carry on in 2015.

Contributions that were collected was a result of the ARC-NMI Chapter’s collaboration not only with the Public School System and private schools in the Commonwealth but also with various organizations that joined and community members from Saipan, Rota, and Tinian as well.

“The Red Cross is grateful for the great support from the community and the organizations that helped made this event successful. It’s a team effort! Without this collaboration with the various organizations, Red Cross would have not made with this far,” Hirsh told Saipan Tribune.

According to him, the amount collected from the walkathon will go to their working fund, which finances their various programs that benefit the community, including first aid and CPR certification courses, disaster response, and emergency preparedness.

“Thanks again to all our business partners, donors, school coordinators and volunteers for their dedication to helping the Red Cross. Special thanks goes out to the [PSS] leadership and their support for this annual event. Also extra special recognition to Diana Camacho from Ayuda Network,” Hirsh said.