‘Giving and sharing within our community’
On Dec. 31, 2005, the Turnkey-Koblerville Community Association recently hold their 5th Annual Santa’s Parade & Fireworks display in Turnkey-Koblerville. This event is an annual event and our community in Turnkey-Koblerville fully support this event for the past five years.
The event is one of a kind on the island and it was a very successful event for the community. The Kagmanian Bikers, Fire Division and the CNMI Drum Corps all donated their free time and talent to participate in the parade and cheer up our community in Koblerville. They were all volunteers and they donated their free time to perform and cheer up our community.
But one thing that really bothered me and one that I would like to share with our island readers is that when you participate in the community events like this, you consider your time as free and at the end, you feel great that you have done something good for yourself by giving back to the community.
I am very disappointed that our community did not have the opportunity and chance to see the great Chinese Lion Dance performed during the Koblerville community parade. The group asked to be paid a fee of $380 for their participation. The leader of that group should have led its members in joining us and sharing with our community to promote friendship among us, especially during Christmas and New Year. This is the time of giving and sharing, not charging and paying!
I find it very difficult to understand their unwillingness to participate in this special event. I feel that they should focus more on helping and participating in our community, rather than charging the community a fee for participating.
After all, we consider the Chinese community a part of our community here. I have Chinese friends, too, and some locals are married to some Chinese. So, we are all part of this island in one way or another.
Your lion dancers could surely bring a lot of happiness and cheer to our children and especially those special people with disabilities watching the parade.
In the end, we brought a lot of happiness and cheer to a lot of people by donating our free time to our community, but you’re missing the most important part of being here on our island, not giving back and sharing to our community.
Jack C. Muna
President
Turnkey-Koblerville Community Association
