Eagles clubs unveil newly refurbished Gualo Rai Basketball Court

The Saipan Maga’Haga Lady Eagles Club and the Saipan Maga’Lahi Eagles Club unveiled the newly refurbished Gualo Rai Basketball Court in a ribbon cutting ceremony last Thursday afternoon.

This, after the clubs “adopted” the court last February as part of Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho’s “Adopt-a-Place Program.”

The basketball court is the venue for the Inaugural SMEC-SMLEC Invitational Basketball Tournament 2023. There are eight teams in the master’s division, 16 teams in the open division, and four teams in the 14-and-under division.

The games are from Monday to Saturday, 6pm to 10pm. Yesterday was the parade of teams and the first day of games.

In attendance during the ceremony was Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho, Rep. Vicente Camacho (D-Saipan), Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero (D-Saipan), Rep. Roy Ada (R-Saipan), Sen. Francisco Cruz (R-Tinian), Rep. Malcolm Omar (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Julie Ogo (Ind-Rota), Saipan Mayor’s Office staff, and Eagle club members.

Maria Aileen Arnold, vice president of the SMLEC, introduced the clubs and what their missions are in Saipan.

Afterwards, Mayor Camacho thanked the clubs for their hard work in restoring the court for recreation within the community. He said, “I believe in the word ‘together’… if we work together, we can make a difference.”

He added, “I thank you guys for all your time and effort… it’s so beautiful. It’s no longer an eyesore. Now, we can use this to promote recreation in our community… This is about the neighborhood and how we can educate the children not to vandalize. The people sacrificed their money to build it and it’s not from the government. It shows that there’s care, love, understanding, and respect for one another. Thank you for your contribution to this community.”

Founded in 2021, the Saipan MagaLahi Eagles Club is a club of the Fraternal Order of Eagles or TFOE, the first fraternal socio-civic organization in the Philippines whose goal is to nurture brotherhood and serve the community, while the Saipan Maga’Haga Lady Eagles Club is a non-profit all-women socio-civic organization.