The 53-year-old referee said he has been doing this for several years now, starting from the time he was still based in Guam.
Mesa said he has donated 12 games so far for the youth basketball contingents for their airfare.
He said he has even pledged to donate his upcoming games in the 25-under caging league.
Mesa’s fee from each game that he officiates ranges between $15 and $20.
“It’s not enough but it’s a start,” Mesa said, adding that he wants the young cagers to be out of any vice which could ruin their future in basketball.
Mesa has been performing his official duties as referee to two major caging events on island – the Inter-government/Business Basketball League and the Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League.
In a past interview with Elias Rangamar, president of the Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands, the boys and girls basketball teams have been conducting their own fundraising activities in order to raise the needed money for their plane ticket to Guam.
Accordingly, Oceania games will shoulder the food and accommodation of contingents from participating places in the region.
Rangamar mentioned that a private firm has already expressed interest to pay for the uniforms of CNMI’s young cagers, and that all they need to concern with is their individual airfare so they can compete in the Oceania games.
“We have to go out there and raise funds [for them],” Mesa said.
A member of the NMI Referee Association, Mesa was able to raise $74,000 through game donations for Guam’s youth basketball team to Oceania back in 2004, and now he is spearheading the same gesture on behalf of his association.
He hopes that his game donations would allow people to realize the need to help CNMI’s boy and girl basketball teams.
