The Commonwealth Cancer Association not only reaffirmed its mission to beat cancer in the CNMI, but also surpassed its $100,000 fundraising goal for its 2025 Mission: Possible campaign.
CCA president Jocelyn Deleon Guerrero revealed the milestone during the nonprofit’s Celebrating the Agents of Hope dinner of appreciation last Dec. 29 at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.
“On April 1, we officially launched the Mission: Possible fundraising campaign. While it carried an April start date, the reality is that the campaign did not fully gain momentum until the end of August. It took time for conversations, for clarity, and for our community to understand that this year would look different,” Deleon Guerrero said.
She admitted that just a couple of months before the Dec. 31, 2025 deadline, Mission: Possible was looking anything but achievable, with only $42,095 in donations as of October.
Momentum, however, began to build after that month as the participating teams—Team Bodig, Team Faiyé, Team Boogie, and Team IT&E—found their fundraising footing. From there, Mission: Possible took off, moving faster than Ethan Hunt scaling the Burj Khalifa in “Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol.”
By November, the campaign had raised $70,956.14. By Dec. 2, the goal was already within reach with total donations of $87,130.28. At the time of the appreciation dinner, CCA had already exceeded its target, raising a whopping $106,120.55 with two days still remaining before the Dec. 31 deadline.
“It is the season of gifting—giving and gifting. And so, if there are any businesses out there, you know, tax-free… But this is a celebration, you guys. And this is all made possible by every one of you,” Deleon Guerrero said toward the end of the event. “It’s $106,120.55, and I know that this number will change tomorrow.”
The achievement was made even more significant by CCA’s decision to step away this year from its signature fundraising event, the long-running Marianas March Against Cancer, and replace it with the then-unproven Mission: Possible—a move that came with considerable apprehension.
“Understandably so, because one of the most common questions we heard was, ‘So when is MMAC?’ That question says everything. MMAC is synonymous with CCA. It is our signature event. For decades, it has represented community, solidarity, remembrance, and hope,” Deleon Guerrero said. “The event is truly loved, and rightly so. However, as an organization committed to stewardship and sustainability, the board of directors faced a difficult but necessary reality.”
She explained that the rising costs of staging MMAC had reached a point where they outweighed the funds that could otherwise be directed toward cancer survivors and the vital programs and services CCA provides year-round.
“After thoughtful discussion and careful deliberation, the board made the tough decision to pause MMAC this year. From that decision, Mission: Possible was launched—not as a replacement of tradition, but as a reflection of our commitment to mission over method,” Deleon Guerrero said. “It was not an easy shift. Change rarely is. But tonight proves something important: that when a community believes in a mission, the mission remains possible.”
During the Celebrating the Agents of Hope event, CCA also presented special awards to the following individuals and groups:
Honoring the Legacy Award: The Bodig Family
The Super Sister, Prayer-Powered, Family-Fueled Award: Claudine Atalig
The Fabulous, Flavor-Fueled, Cancer-Conquering Chef Extraordinaire Award: Flora Dela Cruz
The No-Nonsense, Family-Loving, Cancer-Defying Award: Marja Lee Taitano
The Supreme Swag Defender and Friendship Superhero Award: Yentl Sablan
The Iron-Willed, Globe-Trotting Supermom Award: Wendielynn Escota
The Skydiving, Sport-Playing, Family-Adventure Champion Award: Sandy Leon Guerrero
Priority Care Powerhouse Award: Priscilla T. Castro
Robo-Resilience Award: Arnel Gruspe
Youth Club of the Year Award: Marianas High School
The evening concluded with a raffle drawing with prizes donated by CCA’s generous sponsors.
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