$1,000 for MVA’s ‘Marianas-chan’ winner
In its quest to find its Marianas-chan (Marianas child) to help promote the Northern Marianas in Japan, the Marianas Visitors Authority is offering a $1,000 to the winner of auditions on Jan. 7, 2016. Contestants must register before the auditions, and the deadline to register is Dec. 30, 2016.
Marianas-chan will be featured in various MVA marketing and promotional activities in 2017, beginning in February. In addition to the $1,000 cash prize, travel expenses and a stipend will be provided to Marianas-chan and their parent or guardian for promotional activities held in Japan and the NMI.
“We are looking for that one special child ages 4-6 who will—quite simply—win the hearts of potential Japanese visitors,” said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. “We encourage all parents to consider having their eligible children apply for this extraordinary opportunity.”
Eligibility requirements and an application are available at www.mymarianas.comor at the MVA offices on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
The cash prize will be awarded to the winner once all contest eligibility requirements are met, including the requirement for the child to have a U.S. passport.
“We realize that at this young age, many children do not yet have a passport, so we are allowing our winner up to 30 days to get a passport, if necessary,” said Concepcion. “This is going to be a great travel and exposure opportunity for one lucky family, and we’re looking forward to meeting our applicants.”
Marianas-chan will visit Japan to promote tourism and make television appearances, and his or her image will be issued in promotional material and merchandising.
Contestants will have the opportunity to demonstrate any special talent or skill at the live auditions on Saipan. Applicants must reside in the Northern Mariana Islands and be a U.S. citizen. Additional criteria are specified on the application. Interested contestants from Tinian and Rota are invited to submit an application with a 1-2 minute video of the contestant to info@mymarianas.com for call back to the Jan. 7 audition.
For further details, download a Marianas-chan application at www.mymarianas.comor call the MVA at 1.670.664.3200/01.
