NMIVA donates volleyballs to shelters

With families still in shelters following Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the NMI Volleyball Association spread joy and kept shelter residents active in the midst of recovery by donating 12 volleyballs on Saipan.

NMIVA, led by secretary Kathy Winkfield and her family, donated two volleyballs to each shelter at Marianas High School, Koblerville Elementary School, Garapan Elementary School, Kagman High School, Oleai Elementary School, and Dan Dan Head Start.

Winkfield said the group decided to donate as a way to help the community. “Because we had a lot of balls left over from the Mini Games that were used for training, donating them to the shelters was a way to keep people active. One of the American Red Cross site managers mentioned she had been searching all over the island for a ball for the kids to play with and was so thankful that we came and donated them.”

She then shared their message to the shelters: “We are donating these volleyballs to give children something to play with, stay active, and ‘keep the ball flying,’ which is NMIVA’s motto.”

As for the rest of NMIVA’s upcoming events, she said, “At the moment, all events are suspended due to recovery efforts. We recently visited the Crowne Plaza beach volleyball courts, and the nets were damaged, though we’re hopeful they can be repaired.”

With sports facilities sustaining damage, she said the postponement of the Marianas Games in June “has been a great relief for board members, athletes, volunteers, and coaches to be with their families and the community during this difficult time. In the meantime, the volleyball donations are one way to keep the ball flying and provide some relief for those who have lost so much.”