DURING the weekend, volunteers from GovGuam, the U.S. Air Force and the private sector came out in full force to participate in the governor’s Adopt-a-School program, an islandwide effort to clean up the schools in time for the opening of classes.

Several companies also provided cash and in-kind donations to the initiative. According to a news release from the Governor’s Office, The Works! Foundation, a nonprofit group headed by Atty. Naoko Shimizu, received donations and commitments of support from companies such as AM Insurance, PacAir Properties, Isla Paint, CoreTech, Calvo’s Insurance, J&B Modern Tech, and Hotel Nikko.

Moreover, the Guam Women’s Tackle Football Association, together with GovGuam agencies, also adopted Upi Elementary and Agueda Johnston Middle School. For their part, Republican senatorial candidates took care of athletic fields at several different schools.

Volunteers from the U.S. Air Force also assisted in the efforts to spruce up the schools. At D.L. Perez Elementary School, at least 15 volunteers from the Air Force, the school staff and Guam Memorial Hospital worked together to clean up the school premises.

“There was a buzz of people water blasting, scraping, pruning, digging and painting,” Gov. Eddie Calvo said. “Gosh, there’s a lot of work to do at the schools. We could use all the help we can get.”

SSHS

During the weekend, members of the U.S. Air Force Expedition Aircraft Maintenance (EAMX) Squadron, led by Master Sgt. John Tinker, helped clean up Simon Sanchez High School. According to Tinker, around 36 volunteers showed up to clean the facility, cut the grass, and trim trees to get the school cleaned up in time for the school year.

“We just wanted to get some people together to come down and help the community,” Tinker said.

According to SSHS Principal Beth Perez, the school staff also took the lead in many of the labor-intensive projects including removal of dilapidated lockers throughout the main building, classroom painting, and other exterior painting and improvements necessary to prepare the school for the students.

Aside from the U.S. EAMX Squadron, companies such as DZSP, Hotel Nikko and the Guam Home Center, as well as organizations such as the National Association of Women in Construction, also provided their commitment and support to the cleanup efforts at SSHS, according to Perez.

Help needed

The Governor’s Office is encouraging the community to support the Adopt-a-School program. According to the news release, some agencies will still continue their work over the weekday as well this coming Saturday, Aug. 11, and Saturday, Aug. 18.

Residents and companies or organizations can contact the school they want to volunteer at to verify, or they can contact Vince Leon Guerrero at 688-3091. Donations of paint or cash may be coordinated via The Works! Foundation.