The Vaai Lau Foe Outrigger Canoe club is more than ready for next week’s Alo Paopao Festival thanks to weeks of preparations and a generous donation from a Good Samaritan.
Earlier this week, the club received six new paddles thanks to Matson Shipping Company and Molida Agency.
The paddles, worth $4,100 were presented to the President of the Club, Chee Kwong Zhu by Matson and Molida representative, Anthony Pereira.
A paddler himself, Mr. Pereira said the companies were pleased to be able assist the Club in a small way, pointing out that good paddles go a long way towards helping the crew to win. Mr. Pereira said his father was also a former President of the Club and so it was only natural that they would give back through the paddles.
President Mr. Zhu was extremely grateful.
“This is all part of our preparations towards the Alo Paopao next week, that we have been preparing for,” he said. “These paddles will make our preparations even better.”
Vice President, Robert Ash, agrees, saying the paddles are a heaven-sent since the Club has been using old wooden paddles for many years.
“So this is a step up for our club,” he said.
As for next week’s regatta, Mr. Ash said they are ready.
“We have been working very hard and we are looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “We know the competition is not going to be easy with a number of international teams coming but we are ready to go out there and give it our best shot.”
“For sure, it will be a tough competition but these paddles will help our club enormously in the way we will react out there in the open sea.”
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More than ten international teams are expected in Apia to take part in the Festival next week.
For Vaai Lau Foe, members of the Club attended a small prayer service conducted by Deacon Maselino Talalupe to bless the paddles.
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