Retirees' Day 2006
July 5, 2006
Since 2004, July 1st of every year has been observed as Retirees’ Day, to pay tribute to the hundreds of retired senior and disabled citizens who have served the Marshall Islands in various employment capacities in the Government and Private sectors.
July 1st also serves as MISSA’s anniversary date, as it was on July 1, 1968 when the Trust Territory Social Security System (TTSSS) was established.
This year’s festivities marked the 38th year anniversary of MISSA and was held at the MISSA-USP grounds.
A short program was opened with a prayer by Pastor Lawrence Edwards and was followed by brief but inspiring messages from Malgov Mayor Riley Albertter, Patrick Chen of BOMI, Kaname Yamamura of the Retirees’ Association of the Marshall Islands, MOH Minister Alvin Jacklick, and Saane Aho and Jack Niedenthal of MISSA.
An unexpected guest, Brenda Lewis, a nutritionist at the Diabetes Wellness Center who was invited by the Administrator, caught the attention of the audience as she explained how diabetes can be controlled and cured. “Nobody but you can cure diabetes, not your doctors or the medicine you take. And you can do it through the good use of the local food available on the island and by regular exercise,” she said.
As most of the audience are elderly citizens suffering from diabetes, Ms. Lewis’s message came at the most appropriate time and her message became a message of hope and inspiration among the retirees.
Live entertainment was provided by the M-Polen Band while refreshments and lunch were served throughout the day. Anniversary T-shirts were also given, courtesy of BOMI.
But the center of attention was focused on the numerous outdoor games that were participated by even those confined to wheelchairs and disabled retirees. The event ended with lots of cash prizes being awarded to the winning participants.
The laughter and joy seen from the faces of the retirees overwhelmed the exhaustion felt by MISSA management and staff, as some have even stayed overnight to prepare for the food, tents, decorations and other logistics needed for the big celebration.
Simultaneous celebrations were also observed in Ebeye, where more than one hundred retirees and guests gathered together at the Beach Park.
