Saipan’s resiliency highlights Soudelor commemoration

Next month’s commemoration of Typhoon Soudelor’s devastation on Saipan will highlight the community’s resiliency and unified stance to recover from one of the worst disasters that hit the island. Soudelor made landfall on Saipan in the early morning of Aug. 2.

The Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts has formed a planning team tasked to prepare the activities and events of the commemoration. The planning team met last week to further discuss the community events.

CARE director Jenny Hegland said part of the plan is holding a SOU’ Fest, a community festival, also centered on the helping hand extended by various groups to families and individuals that were gravely affected.

“We’re still working on more details. We’re going to announce more details soon. The planning team [held a meeting] to confirm some of the details of the events [set] for the first week of August,” added Hegland.

A proclamation signing by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres will start things off in the weeklong anniversary commemoration. The signing will be on Aug. 1, Monday, at 9am at the Governor’s Office conference room on Capital Hill.

A SOU’ Rise sunrise vigil will be held from 5am to 6am the following day, Tuesday, at the Capital Hill ballfield that is adjacent to the Governor’s Office. Faith-based groups, first responders, and other community members are invited to join.

Members of the Matua Riders will also do their share with a SOU’ Ride to Recovery in the morning of Aug. 6. The SOU’ Fest community celebration is from 6pm to 11pm, also on Saturday, will cap off the weeklong anniversary commemoration.

Food, fun and games, live entertainment, vendors, disaster preparedness information campaign, giveaways, and a Karaoke Showdown contest are the events in the SOU’ Fest, set at the Garapan Fishing Base.

Representatives from the Crisis Counseling Program-Community Guidance Center, Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service, United 4 Saipan, American Red Cross-NMI Chapter, Governor’s Office, Marianas Young Professionals, Northern Marianas Humanities Council, CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Best Sunshine-CSR, Greenstay-Skywalker Holdings, and Empty Vessel Ministry Foundation are some of the members of the planning team.

Hegland is also thankful for all individuals, known and unknown, who helped them the past few months and the Saipan Mayor’s Office. “The [SMO] is a valued member of our CARE partner network and an incredible asset in our community.”

“Their team has removed thousands of cubic yards of dangerous debris from our villages, and CARE volunteers were privileged to have their support in the [more than] 40 volunteer debris cleanup events we led over the past eight months,” said Hegland.

Hegland is also thankful for Southern Baptist volunteers who arrived to help families in rebuilding homes that were totally destroyed by Soudelor. “We are grateful for the volunteer team from Southern Baptists who are here completing home repairs for CARE clients.”

“Thank you also to the Kagman Community Church for housing and supporting the team. Here’s to making repair progress for families in Kagman this week,” she added.