FRIDAY IS FAREWELL FOR HOKULE’A AND HIKIANALIA CREWS

NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is inviting everyone in the community to the Malaloa Marina this Friday at 11 a.m. to bid farewell to the World Wide Voyage Malama Honua canoes: Hokule'a and Hikianalia. The two vessels are part of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

“The canoes will not be returning as they voyage on to Vavau, Tonga, the Kermedec Islands, and New Zealand over the next several months,” said Isabel Gaoteote, education outreach coordinator of the NMSAS, in an email to Samoa News yesterday morning

Once in New Zealand, the canoes will sail between North and South Islands before they are dry docked for several months. Their goal of sailing around the world will resume in May 2015 where they will head to Suva, Fiji; New Caledonia, Australia, Indonesia, and Madagascar.

According to Gaoteote, the World Wide Voyage will end in 2017 after the canoes have voyaged to South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil, the US Virgin Islands, the United States, Panama, Costa Rica, the Galapagos, Rapanui, Marquesas, Tahiti and finally to Hawai’i.

“American Samoa will never again see the canoes on our shores so we invite the public to join us” in bidding a warm farewell to the Hokule'a and Hikianalia “for this will be their last time here in the Territory.” Gaoteote continued.

Today, the second in-reach for the Hokule'a and Hikianalia crews who will be changing over after new crew members arrived on Monday night’s Hawaiian Air flight. The presentation will be made by NMSAS superintendent Gene Brighouse and will take place at the Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center at 9 a.m.

A first in-reach was carried out for the crew members that arrived back from Samoa and Swains Island before the NMSAS launched its community learning projects with a full schedule of work during the week of Sept. 22 — which included Google hangouts, sphere casts, school presentations, teacher workshops, and two sanctuary learning projects in Fagatele and Aunuu.

Today’s ceremony will be attended not only by the crewmembers (old and new) but also the captains of both vessels: Capt. Bruce Blakenfled of the Hokule'a and Capt. Bob Perkins of the Hikianalia.

International Day of the Girl NETS POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC

International Day of the Girl is less than a month away and as of 11:30 a.m. in Friday, Oct. 3, the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition already had 85 individuals, and seven groups with over 200 people registered to take part in the first ever celebration of the event, which will take place on Oct. 25 at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tafuna.

This is a great start, considering the registration forms were printed in the Samoa News for the first time last week.

The Women and Sports Commission, under the umbrella of the American Samoa National Olympic Committee, along with community partners is spearheading the event that aims to promote healthy living through sports for women of all ages.

Registrations (printed in the Samoa News) are still being accepted and everyone is invited to attend.

It was two years ago that the UN declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child “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.”

The movement is now in American Samoa and every female — young and old — is invited to join the ‘worldwide revolution’.

“We want ourselves, and girls everywhere, to be seen as equals in the eyes of others, and in our own eyes.”