Committee chairman Jonas Barcinas said Delta Airlines donated two round trip tickets to Japan.
One of the tickets will be used by this year’s Liberation Day Queen when she goes to Japan with Saipan Mayor Donald G. Flores to attend an annual convention and summit which will take place after the Liberation activities.
The other ticket, Barcinas said, will be given away as consolation prize during the raffle draw.
“This donation truly shows their support that will help this year’s festivities to be more exciting and prosperous,” he said, adding that there is still no funding support from the Legislature.
Barcinas said they are hoping that the administration and the Legislature will expeditiously approve the funding for the Liberation activities.
Their other major sponsor is IT&E, according to Liberation concessionaire committee chairwoman Larissa Flores.
IT&E donated cell phones, phone cards and umbrellas for the raffle draw.
Flores said It&E also provided the Liberation Day Committee members free use of their cell phones.
“We used the cell phone for the committee’s daily operation,” she added.
In return, she said the Liberation Day Committee provided IT&E with a tent for its use at the Garapan Fishing Base activity center.
Nine tents were leased to food vendors and 13 to merchandisers, Flores said.
The committee rented 30 tents, some of which are used for the public, she added.
Yesterday, the Liberation Queen committee conducted its final count of the tickets sold by the three candidates.
The grand prize for the raffle of the Liberation Queen tickets is $3,000.
The baby grand prize is $2,000 while the third prize is $1,000, Liberation Queen committee chairwoman Vinycia Seman said.
The coronation of the Liberation Queen is scheduled for Saturday.
Barcinas said the committee will continue to ask donations from the private sector for their consolation raffle prizes.
He said raffle tickets are available at the committee’s booth each night.
“This annual event is for everyone on Saipan and from the other islands as well as our visitors from other countries,” he added.
“This is a festival of celebrating 66 years of freedom and reminiscing the past. It is also to honor those men and women, family members, brothers and sisters that are out there fighting or protecting our country and people,” he said.
“To all those that supported this year’s event, thank you in advance. No words can express how your contributions help this year’s event. Your contributions are evident in supporting us for the betterment of our community.”
