Sorensen Media Group donates $2.76K to HJHS

The Sorensen Media Group on Saipan donated $2,763.38 as educational tax credit to the Hopwood Junior High School Thursday morning.

Tina Palacios, Sorensen Media Group general manager, said the station used to donate its educational tax credits to private schools but this time saw the need for Hopwood students to get it.

The donation, she said, is “not much, but every little bit helps.”

Sorensen Media Group plans to give the school another tax credit donation this year.

“The school should be expecting another check and an even bigger one for them shortly,” Palacios said.

Hopwood principal Christine Tudela-Masga said the school was overjoyed upon hearing of the donation. They are not sure yet how the money will be spent.

“We have so many activities and projects going on and a lot of catching up for next year, such as the purchase of school materials and books and the expansion of the school library. There is just so many. We have a long list of what we need to do,” Tudela-Masga said.

Palacios said she has decided that this year and in the future, all educational tax credits from the Sorensen Media Group will be donated to the CNMI public schools.

“Everybody’s always complaining about gas, electricity and all the other economic crises that the island is in, but we just need to get over it, deal with it and help each other out. All this complaining and bickering will not get us anywhere,” Palacios said.

She said the radio station is challenging all other businesses, big or small, to do the same with their tax credit.

“It’s a tax break. So why not give them to schools where they really need it. If everybody just helps each other out, surely we can overcome all of this,” Palacios said.

Tudela-Masga said the school is touched by the many donations it has received from the community.

Hopwood also receives a $2,000 donation every quarter from Mobil in support of the school’s Reading Program.

“Because of the funding and budget issues that we’re facing, we and most especially the kids just really appreciate all the support,” Tudela-Masga said.

She hopes that companies such as the Sorensen Media Group will continue to remember all the students of the CNMI.

Palacios said it was the strong support of the station’s clients, listeners, and staff that inspired them to donate to the worthy cause.

Sorensen Media Group Saipan, Power 99, 97 the CAT, and ABC 7 say they want to thank everybody and is challenging all businesses “to do the same thing we did.”