Colonia, Yap-- “It takes more than a village to get the Athletes Village ready for the 2018 Micro Games,” observed Liyon Sulog, CEO of this year’s event in Yap. “So we were very glad when a group of volunteers from the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ Helping Hands program showed up to help carry chairs, desks, file cabinets and equipment from the classrooms at Yap High School to waiting trucks.”
Yap High School will serve as the main Athletes Village during the Games, housing more than 1,000 athletes and coaches. As soon as school let out for the summer, work crews arrived and went into action preparing the buildings where the teams will live. But first the rooms had to be cleared out and the contents sent to storage. Up next is painting and repairs before bunk beds and other furnishings are moved in.
“Members of our Yap Mormon congregation were very happy to be called on to help with the Micro Games,” said Elder Kevin Moss, Local Senior Missionary of the Church. “Helping Hands is a worldwide initiative of the LDS Church that offers our members opportunities to give their time and talents as a contribution to the good of their community.” In addition to providing much needed assistance at Yap High School, Helping Hands volunteers are providing media and technology support for the Games with volunteers set to arrive in July to install equipment that will allow the events to be streamed live online as well as filmed. In addition, photographers will be covering the activities, medal ceremonies and competitions during the quadrennial event.
“We are very grateful to Helping Hands for stepping up and providing support,” said Sulog, “but we still need many more volunteers and invite individuals and groups to sign up today to be where the action is behind the scenes and on the playing fields during the Games. And there are free t-shirts for all volunteers,” he smiled.
For more information and to sign up, go to https://microgames2018.com/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/, call 691-350-2440, email 2018microgames@gmail.com, or stop by the Micro Games office in the Small Business Development Center, Room 201.