DAY OF THE GIRL NETS OVER 1,500 REGISTRANTS SO FAR

Over 1,500 registration forms have already been submitted from people interested in taking part in the International Day of the Girl (IDG) festivities — a first for the territory — set to take place at the Veterans Memorial Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014.

The event is being spearheaded by the Women and Sports Commission under the American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC) and its partners, including the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition.

A meeting was held yesterday to discuss and iron out details that need to be addressed prior to the big day. Donations of water, fruit, and sandwiches are being sought to feed the hundreds of participants who are expected to show up.

The event aims to promote healthy living through sports for women of all ages. Those who are battling cancer, including those who lost the fight, will be honored with a special “walk” that will take place that day.

Fitness sessions for Zumba and Tae-Bo will also be carried out. So far, the Dept. of Youth and Women’s Affairs (DYWA), along with the American Samoa National Nurses Association are already on board to man information booths during the event.

Other government agencies and departments, including some from the private sector and non-profit organizations, are expected to have their own booths that day as well.

The International Day of the Girl Child was approved by a United Nations resolution two years ago “to raise awareness about all issues concerning gender inequality around the world. It’s a day when activist groups come together under the same goal to highlight, discuss, and take action to advance rights and opportunities for girls everywhere.”

AS COMMUNITY CANCER COALITION TO HOST FUNDRAISING EVENT

The American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition will be hosting its second semi-annual cancer patient stipend fundraising event called “Hope Starts Here” next Saturday, October 25 at the DDW Beach Cafe in Utulei from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Everyone is invited to attend.

All the money collected during the event will go towards cancer patient stipends, which have benefitted numerous cancer patients in the territory.

Right now, according to the AS Community Cancer Coalition’s project coordinator Luana Scanlan, seventeen cancer patients are on the wait list for stipends and another two are expected to join the list this week.

“Our goal is to keep expenses down so every penny can go towards those patients,” Scanlan said. For the event, a purchase of a $30 ticket ($35 at the door) will get  you either one glass of premium wine or one cold mug of Vailima beer. Every guest is required to purchase a ticket.

Wine by the glass or beer by the bottle will be $5 each while wine by the bottle will cost $25.

A silent auction and $5 raffle tickets will be available for purchase, for a chance to win NFL jerseys, caps and gift baskets.

Live entertainment will be provided by Penni Utu, the Truce Family, and Dacia Turituri.

Tickets are available by calling Rochelle at 733-3177, Luana at 731-6675 or Cindy at 633-4589. The event is being sponsored by DDW, GHC Reid and Co. Ltd., and Penni Girl Productions.

REGISTRATION FOR SAT PREP COURSES ENDS TODAY

The Pacific Youth and Community Development will be hosting a SAT prep course for local high school students only, beginning October 20 and ending November 26 from 3 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. every Monday through Thursday at the Pacific Resources Development office located at the Fa’atamali’i Center, Suite 2C in Malaeimi.

The fee to participate is $175 and a required $25 deposit should be attached to the registration form. The deadline to apply is today at 4 p.m.

According to the administrators of the course, the benefits of the SAT prep course include individual assessments, personalized training, small group study sessions, test-taking tips, and SAT waivers. Materials are provided.

The SAT, originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, is a standardized test used for admission into colleges and universities in the United States.

It was first introduced in 1926 and is owned and published by the College Board, a private, nonprofit organization in the US. The test is intended to assess a student’s readiness for college.

According to Wikipedia.com “The current SAT, introduced in 2005, takes 3 hours and 45 minutes to finish, and as of 2014 costs US$52.50 (up to US$94.50 outside of the United States), excluding late fees

 Possible scores on the SAT range from 600 to 2400, combining test results from three 800-point sections: Mathematics, Critical Reading, and Writing.”

“On March 5, 2014, the College Board announced that a redesigned version of the SAT would be administered for the first time in 2016. The exam will revert to the 1600-point scale, the essay will be optional, and students will have 3 hours to take the exam plus 50 additional minutes to complete the essay.”

The local SAT Prep course will focus on critical reading, grammar, vocabulary, and writing and sentence completion for English; and data analysis, statistics and probability, geometry and measurement, algebra and functions, and numbers and operations for the math portion.

OHS RECORDS 569 CRASHES SO FAR THIS YEAR

As of yesterday, data from the Office of Highway Safety revealed that a total of 569 crashes and two fatalities have been recorded so far this year in the territory. At this rate, American Samoa will be close to matching last year’s stats, which included 612 crashes and two fatalities.

It is always OHS’s hope that the number of crashes and deaths decrease each year but the last time the territory made headlines was three years ago when American Samoa became the only place in the US and its territories to close off 2011 without a single car accident related or pedestrian fatality.

For now, the OHS plans to raise more awareness about highway safety by being more aggressive with outreach programs, traffic enforcement during the holiday season, and continuous public announcements through the media.

The goal is to get everyone to buckle up, make sure the young ones are in child safety seats, ensure that those under the influence of drugs and alcohol do not get behind the wheel, and educate people on how to obey the signs posted on the road.

The Office of Highway Safety is a federally funded division of the Dept. of Public Safety that funds and spearheads different programs including occupant safety and drunk driving.

They conduct outreach programs that include free “by request” presentations and sessions that discuss the importance of being safe on the road - whether it be crossing the street, riding the school bus, buckling up, or choosing the right car seat for the little ones. Local youth groups, schools, and church organizations are among the many different groups that have sought and received invaluable information from the OHS staff in the form of presentations and forums.

The mission of the American Samoa OHS is to reduce the number of traffic crashes, fatalities, injuries, and property damage on the territory’s roadways, as well as create a safer environment for motorists, passengers, and pedestrians.

The Office of Highway Safety is located on the second floor of the Lumana’i Building in Fagatogo and they can be reached at 633-7634.