Community Events: Thrifting with KPRG; Be a friend to Artspace Guahan

Put on your wacky outfit at KPRG's The Thrift Store Ball

Public Radio for Guam (KPRG 89.3) will host The Thrift Ball on Sept. 12 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Jeff’s Pirates Cove in Talofofo, featuring live music from Mirror Men and delicious dishes from Jeff’s kitchen.

The Thrift Store Ball is a fun event to raise funds to support Public Radio for Guam and the NPR programs and locally produced shows aired in the Marianas and Palau after the loss of federal funding for public radio stations nationwide.

Guests will sourcing outfits from thrift stores around the island to compete for exceptional prizes for: best couple costume, wackiest outfit, thriftiest attire and best odd couple.

KPRG 89.3 is the flagship station of Isla Public Media, which broadcasts in Saipan, Rota and Palau.

Tickets for this fundraiser are $30 each or $55 for a couple and can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/41kiKiU or by calling the radio station at 671-734-8930.

'Be a Friend. Make Your Mark:' Artspace Guåhan launches community campaign

Artspace Guåhan is inviting the community to help keep creativity accessible through its new “Be a Friend. Make Your Mark.” campaign, a grassroots fundraising effort that demonstrates how small contributions can collectively make a meaningful impact.

For just $25, community members can become a Friend of Artspace, helping support the nonprofit’s mission to provide affordable and by-donation creative opportunities for children, families, emerging artists and the greater Guam community.

The campaign will begin with an initial goal of 50 Friends, with additional milestones to follow as the community rallies behind the effort.

But there is another part of the campaign that Artspace isn’t revealing just yet.

As new Friends join, Artspace will share glimpses of a special creative project taking shape at its Tamuning studio. Each milestone will bring the community closer to seeing the finished work, with supporters encouraged to follow along on social media as the story unfolds.

“Artspace was built on the belief that creativity should be accessible to everyone,” said Deane Jesse-Jones, Co-Founder of Artspace Guåhan. “We wanted this campaign to reflect that same spirit. Twenty-five dollars may seem like a small gift, but when a community of people comes together, those small acts of support can become something much bigger and, in this case, something beautiful.”

Funds raised through the campaign will help Artspace continue offering accessible programming, including affordable and by-donation classes and workshops, while providing opportunities for local artists to teach, create and connect with the community.

Rather than seeking large individual contributions, “Be a Friend. Make Your Mark.” is designed to make supporting the arts accessible, too. Individuals, families and community members can participate with a $25 contribution, and supporters who wish to make a larger impact may sponsor multiple Friend contributions.

As the campaign progresses, Artspace will celebrate its Friends and share updates as it reaches each new milestone.

“Our first goal is 50 Friends,” added Kristine Lujan, President of Artspace Guåhan. “From there, we’ll keep going. We want people to feel that they are genuinely part of what we're building at Artspace, because they are.”

Community members can become a Friend of Artspace by donating $25 through the campaign’s designated giving link or QR code and can follow Artspace Guåhan on social media to watch the project come to life.