Saipan Tribune

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

'Beautify my Marianas' offers cash for trash

Toward the mutual goal of keeping the Northern Marianas clean and pristine, the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to launch “Beautify My Marianas, an island beautification project providing cash for cleanup projects.

“Beautify My Marianas” is patterned after the Chamber's longstanding cash for trash program and is funded through the MVA with a grant from the Office of Insular Affairs. The program offers a minimum of $100 to non-profit organizations and school-sanctioned groups to pick up trash in designated areas on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

“The Chamber believes a clean environment is a prosperous environment. This collaborative effort-along with the effort of other groups and our litter enforcement agencies-assures that our visitors, and residents, will continue to find the Commonwealth the desirable destination it's always been,” said SCC executive director Richard A. Pierce.

“Beautify My Marianas” enables non-profit and school groups to raise money for their causes by giving them the opportunity to clean up designated sites on Saipan, as assigned by the SCC and approved by the MVA, in return for a flat $100 fee. Depending on the level of difficulty, the fee may be increased. Applying groups must fall under a registered non-profit organizations or be sanctioned as a school-related activity.

“We are very grateful to the Office of Insular Affairs for recognizing the importance of island beautification in strengthening tourism and our economy,” said MVA managing director Perry Tenorio. “The individuals who participate in this program on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota can also take pride in knowing they are making our islands a better place to both live and visit. We encourage non-profit and school groups to apply immediately for this opportunity to improve the visitor experience, while also raising funds for their causes.”

Interested groups may apply to the Saipan Chamber of Commerce or the MVA, and upon approval of their application, they will be assigned an area that requires immediate trash clean up. It will be up to the group submitting their application to decide how many people will clean the area and when the cleanup will be accomplished. Applications are available at www.mymarianas.com and www.saipanchamber.com.

Approved groups must provide before, during and after photos of the site, as evidence of the cleanup prior to disbursement of funds. Interested groups may apply no more than twice per quarter to ensure that the opportunity is afforded to as many organizations on Saipan. (MVA)