By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE Garapan Fishing Base came alive Saturday night as hundreds gathered for “Rise Up,” a community celebration honoring first responders, relief partners, and the resilience of the CNMI in the months following Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
Hosted in collaboration with the Saipan Mayor’s Office, KKMP, and Project H.O.P.E., the event blended food, music, cultural displays, and public appreciation into an evening of gratitude, reflection, and unity.
KKMP’s Gordon Marciano said the event was designed to recognize both the individuals who protected the community during the storm and those who helped rebuild in its aftermath.
“Rise Up: Honoring first responders, celebrating community strength,” Marciano said. “The mayor hosted a taste of local food for those who came from off-island to help our community. We presented Uncle Scats’ underground-cooked chahan, a roast pig from Herman’s Modern Bakery, and Lady Diane Torres also contributed food.”
Marciano said the strong turnout reflected the community’s determination to move forward even as recovery efforts continue.
“Although recovery efforts are still ongoing, it was a great turnout, with food vendors, local artists, cultural groups, and musicians showcasing the unique flavors and talents of our islands,” he said.
He also thanked residents for supporting Project H.O.P.E.’s ongoing work.
“And we thank our community for providing Project H.O.P.E. with much-needed data for its program examining the stress and mental health challenges experienced during and after Sinlaku,” he said.
The Rise Up event featured a lineup of local artists, including Ayalyss’s Yarns, Shoreline Shells, Hafa Adai Everyone, Ms. NMD, Tahine’s Creations, and Marianas Homeland. Food vendors filled the grounds with island favorites from Miss Purple Snacks & Catering, Floris Marianas, 123 Foods, Sweet 7OH, Che’lu Shave Ice, Chagi Norf, and Rubens Tacos & Wings.
Community outreach organizations also participated, including C.O.T.A., IT&E, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Small Business Administration, the Red Cross, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office, the Emergency Operations Center, and the First Lady Diann Torres Foundation.
Sponsors supporting the event included Project H.O.P.E., the Saipan Mayor’s Office, Bridge Capital, IT&E, DPS’s Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober campaigns, the Marianas Visitors Authority, the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office, Team PDI, the Grants Management Office, Marpac, CHCC/CGC, Eastern Power Solutions, the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture, the Indigenous Affairs Office, the Office of the Governor, and the Office of the Lt. Governor.
Organizers said Rise Up served both as a celebration of the community’s progress and a reminder of the resilience that carried the CNMI through one of the most challenging periods in its recent history.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
