H Å FA ADAI E VERYDAY | OCTOBER 2019  | Volume 14, Issue No. 1
Håfa Adai Pledge Program flourishes at M.U. Lujan Elementary School
M.U. Lujan Elementary School students celebrate Håfa Fridays with island-print clothing and cultural accessories such as leis, shell necklaces, and floral head pieces.
The Håfa Adai Pledge Program continues to build momentum at the M.U. Lujan Elementary School. The school took the pledge early February 2019 in celebration of the program's 10 year anniversary. M.U. Lujan pledged to celebrate the CHamoru culture through Håfa Adai Fridays. Every Friday, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to wear island-print attire and cultural accessories such as leis, shell necklaces, and floral head pieces.

"When we first took the pledge in February, we would have a handful of students participate in our Håfa Fridays. Now that we are our eighth month of the program, we have seen a large growth in student participation. As part of Håfa Adai Fridays, we allow students to share their stories about special pieces they choose to wear. We encourage our students to embrace the significance of wearing these cultural accessories," shared CHamoru language teacher Señora Cruz.
Inesgaihon Famagu’on Cultural Dance Group grows through the Håfa Adai Pledge Program
Ordot Chalan Pago Elementary School: Inesgaihon Famagu’on Cultural Dance Group poses at the Valley of the Latte before their cultural performance.
The Ordot Chalan Pago Elementary School took the Håfa Adai Pledge early this year as part of their CHamoru month festivities. Their ceremony signing was celebrated with cultural dance and song performances. The elementary school pledged to celebrate Cultural Preservation Fridays by hosting activities for students such as cultural dancing, song chanting, and weaving.

Since the implementation of this pledge, the Ordot Chalan Pago Elementary School has seen a rise in interested participants in their cultural dance group, Inesgaihon Famagu’on. The dance group now consists of members from each grade level led by Ms. Suemalee Torres.

"In March, our students were invited to perform at the Valley of the Latte River festival. The students were eager to perform in front of their families, friends, and visitors. Through this dance program, they are able to grasp how important perpetuating our culture is. This is what helps them to uphold the pledges we made as a student body," shared Ms. Suemalee Torres. The cultural dance group continues to share their talent with the local community and visitors alike.

Si yu'os ma'ase' to the faculty, staff and students of Ordot Chalan Pago Elementary School for continuing to live and promote the Håfa Adai Pledge in order to make Guam a better place to live, work, and visit.
Every month, we challenge our members to complete an activity that helps promote and protect our island spirit and culture! For the month of October, we challenge our Håfa Adai Pledge members to create a CHamoru-themed break room for employees/students.

See below for suggestions on how to complete this challenge with your team members. Share your success stories with us! Submit your team story to dee.hernandez@visitguam.org to be featured in our next newsletter.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW HÅFA ADAI PLEDGE TOOL KITS!
Our Håfa Adai Pledge tool kits are now available! Dive into these FREE resource materials and activities aimed to help you continue promoting and perpetuating Guam's unique spirit and culture. Visit the Håfa Adai Pledge webpage on the Guam Visitors Bureau website to download!
Living the Håfa Adai Pledge:
Donavon Flores
Donavon Flores is a waiter and hostess at the Pacific Islands Club Cafė Express. He is also a Japanese language tutor at the University of Guam. Donavon has a passion for demonstrating and sharing Guam's Håfa Adai Spirit with our visitors and locals alike. This passion carries out in all aspects of his work.

When serving at the Pacific Islands Club Café Express, Donavon goes above and beyond to provide excellent service to the hotel's customers. The Pacific Islands Club Cafė Express is positioned at the entrance of the hotel. This means Donavon is one of the very first to interact with our visitors. He makes sure visitors are warmly welcomed by taking the time to memorize their names, sharing jokes, and memorizing their favorite drinks.

At the University of Guam, Donavon continues to share his warmth with local students as a Japanese language tutor. He uses his knowledge and skills he has acquired from work in the tourism industry to help others excel. It is his goal to demonstrate the kindness and welcoming spirit of Guam throughout his life and inspire others to do the same.

Donavon Flores is a great example of living the Håfa Adai Spirit. He shows us that little acts of kindness go a long way. Donavon is proud to be from the island of Guam for many reasons such as the food, culture, and spirit of the people. This pride is what drives Donavan to share these special parts of Guam with others. We thank people like Donavon for positively promoting the island and allowing others to experience the Håfa Adai Spirit.

This week's Tourism Works profile is our friend Eric Scott Encio , the food and beverage supervisor from the Onward Beach Resort. It's his job, his duty, his pleasure – his mission – to keep locals and visitors happy and enjoying the island way of life!
Tourism Works Talk Tour:
Lodging Management Program of J.F.K. High School
Si yu'os ma'ase' to Ms. Carol and the students of the J.F.K. High School Lodging Management Program for allowing us to present our Tourism Talk Tour presentation! We hope you learned a little more about how Tourism Works for Guam. We encourage you all to continue making Guam a better place to live, work, and visit!
1 Million Miles CHallenge pop-ups:

Days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Locations: Paseo loop, Dededo Sports Complex, Tamuning Gym
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm