Members of some of the local sports association, who manned one of the drop off tables at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tafuna during last Saturday’s  American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC) telethon/radiothon to raise money to send Team American Samoa to the 2015 Pacific Games to be held July 4-18 in Papua New Guinea. The telethon was broadcast live on KVZK-TV.

ASNOC secretary general Billy Young said the fund raising event, has so far collected more than $22,000 — locally and from off island family, friends and supporters, who viewed the telethon, via KVZK-TV live stream online.

Young expressed sincere appreciations to all local and off island donors as well as KVZK-TV for their support. ASNOC president J. Victor Langkilde is currently off island for a family emergency. ASNOC continues to accept donations at their office in Tafuna.

During last Friday’s cabinet meeting, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga said that he has yet to receive an official request from ASNOC as to the type of assistance they need from the government. He says that if it’s financial assistance, that will require Fono approval and urged directors to support the fundraising.

However, Territorial Energy Office director Ali’itama Sotoa said that it’s only a few weeks away from the Pacific Games — and such fundraising should have been held way in advance and not within such a short time frame. He says the Pacific Games are held every four years and ASNOC should have been well prepared by now.

ASNOC secretary general Billy Young, who attended the cabinet meeting, apologized to the governor and his cabinet and said that he and ASNOC president J. Victor Langkilde, have held these two posts of ASNOC  for just a short time, adding that in the future things will be well organized way-in-advance.

Young also said that ASNOC has provided $168,000 to help with the fundraising to send Team American Samoa to PNG. 

ASNOC announced in April the total delegation to the Pacific Games was 140 including athletes, but at last Friday’s cabinet meeting, Young said the updated total delegation is now down to 120 which includes 85 athletes. In February ASNOC had announced that an estimated $2,000 would be needed to send each of the members of the 2015 PG American Samoa Team. See Samoan story in today’s To’asavili section for full details.