GREGORIO T. Camacho Elementary School on Saturday marked its first Cultural & Health Day which aims to affect changes in the lifestyle of its students who come from diverse cultures.
School principal Charlotte Camacho said the event was also a fundraiser for GTC. Their goal was to raise $5,000 for the immediate needs of students in the next school year.
“This is the first time we decided to combine the two celebrations and the idea is to promote good health and demonstrate the rich cultures of GTC,” she told Variety.
Hundreds of spectators were on campus to participate in the celebration
Families cheered for their children who performed song and dance numbers in the Binadu Idol and dancing competitions.
The family fun featured students wearing Filipino, Chamorro, Carolinian, Mexican, Chuukese, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Burmese national costumes.
The event was organized by the school’s Parents-Teachers Association.
“We owe a lot to our PTA,” Camacho said. “This celebration will never been possible without their help. From organizing to actually performing on stage, our parents and teachers made us proud.”
Camacho said the school’s PTA has always been a “big help” for GTC’s students.
She said it was the PTA that bought new air-conditioning units, paid for minor facility repairs, and purchased toiletries and other supplies for students.
“This event was in preparation for a challenging year ahead of us,” Camacho said. “We know that our school will not have enough money and what we’re doing is to create something that will help address our needs.”
There were two food vendors contracted by the school for Saturday’s event. Each paid a registration fee of $250. A minimal charge was also collected from the games booths.
To promote good health, representatives of the Public School System’s Food and Nutrition Services, Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Service, and the Department of Public Safety’s DARE program were invited to provide helpful information to the parents and community members.
“We all want our kids to be good academically and in order for them to do that…they need to be healthy,” Camacho said.
A skit on diabetes performed students was among the highlights of the celebration on Saturday, which also included the cultural performances of Filipino, Thai, Palau and Chuukeese associations.
