Project Ayudu aims to raise $150,000

By Press Release |Posted on September 11, 2015

Tan Holdings and Tan Siu Lin Foundation launched Project Ayudu yesterday with the hopes of raising $150,000 to assist in the recovery efforts on Saipan in the aftermath of Typhoon Soudelor.

Ayudu is a Chamorro word that means “to help” and under the project, which was initiated by Tan Holdings president Jerry Tan, the foundation will be selling shirts that commemorate the impact of the destructive typhoon that hit Saipan last Aug. 2, with all sales going to CNMI CARE (Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts) and the Housing Task Force.
Gov. Eloy S. Inos, seated third from right, attends the launching of Tan Holdings and TSL Foundation’s Project Ayudu yesterday at the Governor’s Office conference room on Capitol Hill. Representatives of CNMI CARE-member organizations were also present at the launching. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Gov. Eloy S. Inos, seated third from right, attends the launching of Tan Holdings and TSL Foundation’s Project Ayudu yesterday at the Governor’s Office conference room on Capitol Hill. Representatives of CNMI CARE-member organizations were also present at the launching. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Tan led the launching of Project Ayudu at the Governor’s Office conference room with no less than Gov. Eloy S. Inos attending the event, along with leaders and representatives of United4Saipan, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Triple J Wholesale, IT&E, and Marianas Young Professionals.
“Thank you to Tan Holdings, TSL Foundation, and the various groups who continue to work together to help our island recover from Typhoon Soudelor,” Inos said.

Tan Holdings vice president and Project Ayudu manager Alex Sablan said the TSL Foundation will shoulder the $80,000 needed to purchase and print the 10,000 shirts that will be sold.

“TSL Foundation’s Project Ayudu was created to generate $150,000 from the sales of shirts at $15 each,” Sablan added.

“We thought of this project to get more people in our community involved. I know a lot of people were and are still affected by the typhoon, but if there’s a way to help, they will be willing to do so. Not everyone can donate $100 or more, but I am sure a lot can share $15 in exchange for a nice shirt. The TSL Foundation is taking the initiative, but in the end, everyone who purchase the shirts will help accomplish the mission of the project,” Tan said.

All the sales from the shirt will go into a special account that will be spent in conjunction with CNMI CARE and the Housing Task Force on ancillary items such as nails, hammers, and mortars to name a few construction supplies that are needed in rebuilding the homes of typhoon victims, according to Sablan.

CNMI CARE is composed of various non-government, non-profit, faith-based organizations and foundations, and private companies and was established early this month to focus on long-term recovery efforts on Saipan.

“We can’t thank enough the TSL Foundation for putting together this project in such a short time. The project will be very helpful as we begin assisting families in rebuilding their homes,” CNMI CARE interim facilitator Gerri Willis said.

Pre-selling of the commemorative shirts started last week and more than 3,000 have already been sold on Saipan alone. They are available in different colors and sizes and can be purchased at Shirley’s Coffee Shop (Susupe and Garapan branches), JP Center Building, I Shop at Fiesta Resort and Kanoa Resort, Triple J Wholesale/Truckload, Triple J Motors (Guam and Saipan), IT&E (Guam and Saipan), Joeten (Susupe and Garapan), and Century Hotel starting on Monday.

More than 800 shirts will be given away to first responders after the typhoon in recognition of their hard work and commitment to help people in need. These shirts are sponsored by Tan family members.

“The shirt will remind us not only about the super typhoon that rammed our island, but also Saipan’s resolve to rise from challenges through the collective effort of our community members,” Tan said. (PR)


This article was originally authored by Press Release of the Saipan Tribune and published on September 11th, 2015. All rights, recognition and acknowledgment belong to the author and the Saipan Tribune.

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