Famous Shoes donates 25 pair of sneakers to children of Chaba

After supertyphoon Chaba ravaged the Northern Mariana Islands, hundreds of people in Saipan were left homeless and forced to move in with family or into hotels. Those who were not so fortunate found themselves living in evacuation shelters across the island.

A consolidation of the shelters has begun in order for the children to return to the schools, and those who were formerly housed on the campuses are being moved to places such as the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

After spending a few minutes with the children at the facility, it became clear that they were in need of some sort of activity to help the youngsters pass the time and to take their minds off of their situation.

The staff at the Oleai Sports Complex decided to try to organize a track and field event for the children, in association with the Northern Marianas Track and Field Federation. Even though the staff has the manpower to monitor the event, many of the children were without the sneakers they would need to compete.

After canvassing the business community for assistance, some companies have come forward to lend a hand to the kids, though they have already been providing relief to other parts of the community.

Yesterday afternoon, a shipment of 25 pairs of sneakers was delivered to the gym, courtesy of Famous Shoes, a footwear retailer located in the Plumeria Building in Garapan.

Kishore B. Hemlani is the owner of Famous Shoes, Romi’s Fashion, the Levi’s Outlet Store, the president of RKR Inc., and has been doing business in the CNMI for many years. When approached, Hemlani said that he didn’t hesitate when approached by organizers for a contribution.

“We want to help the community whenever we can, and when my manager, Manoj Moolchandani, told me about it, I said that it was a good cause and that we should give something. I told the guys that anytime, if there’s anything that we can do for the community, there’s no problem. We are just trying to chip in, trying to give back a little bit,” Hemlani said.

Store Manager Moolchandani has been living and working in Saipan for the past three years, and he knows the importance of lending a hand.

“Everybody was affected by the typhoon and we need to be helpful to everybody, so we have to try our best.”

There has been no official date set for the track and field event, but organizers are aiming to hold it next week. The Northern Marianas Track and Field Federation is a non-profit organization and will be handling the event. For more information, or to make a donation, contact Eli Rangamar by calling 664-2508/3 or Brad Ruszala at the Saipan Tribune by calling 235-2440.