Yap Games 2012 was a greatly anticipated event that took
place at the Yap States Sports complex from June 17 to June 30. Some municipalities
organized themselves and their youth to participate in the many sports activities
and trained well before the anticipated date to get their athletes into shape
for the event. This was the second year the Yap Games has been hosted. It was a
great event that brought the youth and everyone together to enjoy the sports
event and join together in camaraderie, cheering the athletes on to victory.
To
take advantage of the event, an MC awareness booth was setup to provide free
water servings to the athletes as well as spectators and passersby. At the
tent, information on natural resource management was shared and support for the
Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary was solicited. Shark sanctuary petitions
including informational pamphlets and fact sheets were circulated to the
attending crowds at the games. This petition acknowledged each signing
individual’s agreement of the importance of sharks in Marine ecosystems,
recognized certain threats to the sharks, and agree that legislative actions
should be taken to protect shark population within the FSM region. Thanks to
the MC booth team the petitions were signed by a good amount of people as well
as lots of positive feedback. The movement of “good resource management”
through conservation is just beginning.
